KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
Kansas City area families gathered at watch parties in Olathe and Lee's Summit to celebrate the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics in Italy. They also cheered for two bobsledders who hope to make mark on the global stage.
Caleb Furnell, a Lee's Summit West High School alum, is making his Olympic debut as part of the U.S. bobsled team. His family watched with pride as he walked alongside more than 200 other American athletes during the opening ceremony.
"It's pretty awesome," said Margene Furnell, Caleb's mom,
Jason Furnell said Caleb's journey was quick after he found the sport in 2024.
Caleb competed for the first time in January 2025, and a year later, he walked in the opening ceremony in Cortina, Italy.
"It's hard to put into words the pride and just the feeling and having him represent our country" Jason said. "It's unbelievable."
He said that pride is something Caleb also feels as he represents his country.
"He’s like, 'It’s something else when you put on the Stars and Stripes,'" said Margene Furnell
The family knows the journey Furnell took to reach this moment.
"As parents, we've seen the lows and we've seen the highs, and so we know how far he's had to come," Margene and Jason said. You know we know that spirit."
They knew his determination would lead him to the podium, first in high school, then college and hopefully at the Winter Olympics.
While Furnell celebrates his first Olympics, a watch party in Olathe honored Kaillie Humphries' sixth appearance at the Olympic Games.
The four-time Olympic bobsled medalist has strong connections to the Kansas City area through friends.
Taner Neighbors went to Pitt State University with Kaillie's husband, Travis. The pair became close friends, with Neighbors saying it's been amazing watching the path Travis and Kaillie are on.
"It's amazing to actually be connected to someone that's doing something that's the best in the world at anything," said Neighbors, who gathered to support Humphries.
The support system means everything to these elite athletes, according to those who know them personally.
"It means a lot to them," Neighbors said. "We support them, it's a tough sport. It's a tough lifestyle for them to live in and continue to do."
Taner Neighbors said he's learned a lot about bobsledding through Kaillie and Travis.
"I mean these are different types of people that are out there doing this sport," Neighbors said. "Travis himself was actually a bobsledder himself for the Olympics. And they're just tough and they're strong and fast and they're just incredible athletes."
Humphries, a seasoned Olympic veteran, and Furnell, a rising star, are backed by strong support systems from the Kansas City area. Both support systems took a moment to send a message to the bobsledders.
"Let's go Team USA!" both watch parties cheered.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
