Hunter Powell, a U.S. Olympian and Colorado State University alum, is set to deliver the keynote address at CSU’s campuswide commencement ceremony on May 16 at Canvas Stadium. This is a fitting honor for a man who has turned athletic perseverance into Olympic glory—just months after competing on the world’s biggest stage.

Powell, a former CSU track and field star, represented the United States in the four-man bobsled at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. But his path to the podium wasn’t a straight sprint; it was a winding, uphill climb that took him through multiple schools, sports, and even a bout of pre-race nerves so intense he thought he might get sick.

Here are five things to know about the man who will inspire the next generation of Rams.

1. He’s a local hero with deep roots in Fort Collins.
Powell grew up in Fort Collins and attended Fort Collins High School, where he was a solid—but not standout—athlete in a powerhouse track and field program. That humble beginning makes his rise to Olympian all the more remarkable.

2. His college journey was anything but linear.
Powell’s collegiate path took him from Western Colorado University to Baylor, and finally to CSU. It was at Colorado State where he truly hit his stride, becoming a Mountain West champion and an NCAA nationals qualifier. His story is a testament to the power of persistence and finding the right fit.

3. The Olympic experience was surreal—and nerve-wracking.
Powell admitted he was so nervous before competing in Cortina that he nearly threw up. “I haven’t had that since I was a little kid,” he said. But the U.S. bobsled team was the first to arrive and the last to compete, giving them three weeks to settle in, soak up the Italian Alps, and channel that adrenaline into focus.

4. He felt the love from home—even from across the globe.
Despite being out of the country for months before the Games, Powell says the support from Fort Collins was overwhelming. “I had hundreds and hundreds of text messages, Instagram messages, Facebook messages,” he recalled. “Our hometown boy, go represent. It’s the most special feeling.” That connection to community is something he’ll surely bring to his commencement speech.

5. He’s ready to inspire the next class of graduates.
Powell’s journey—from a “good but not great” high school athlete to an Olympian and now a commencement speaker—is a powerful reminder that success isn’t always about where you start, but how you keep pushing. As he tells it, “It was just the coolest experience.” And for CSU’s Class of 2026, it’s a message that will resonate long after the caps are tossed.