A Family-Friendly Wager
The Mangolds are a close knit family with a strong presence in the Eureka, Illinois community. Charles’ family owns a local car dealership, where he’s worked throughout college. One family movie night, Charles’ younger sister Rebecca challenged him to a bet that would change the course of his life. They were watching “Cool Runnings,” a movie about the Jamaican bobsled team. Rebecca challenged her brother to make the USA Bobsled & Skeleton team.
Charles’ innate ambition and desire to win led him to accept this challenge and tryout for the team through the team's Digital Combine on GMTM.
Athletic Upbringing
Charles was a four-sport athlete at Eureka High School where he ran cross country and played football, basketball and baseball. As a multi-sport athlete Charles’ natural talents were apparent, but he was most skilled in baseball, leading his high school team with 34 steals in a single season. He was named 1st Team All Conference in the Heart of Illinois (HOI) conference.
Additionally, he received the honor of being selected to play in the 2018 Pantagraph All Star Game, which is sponsored by a local journal “The Pantagraph,” from Woodford County, Illinois. In college, Charles played outfield and had an impressive .833 fielding percentage his freshman year, which only improved every year thereafter.
Transformative Training
One year after finishing his collegiate baseball career, Charles began preparing to try out for the USA Bobsled & Skeleton team. Several exercises that Charles had done throughout his athletic career were incorporated in his new training, including sled pushes and wind sprints. The agility he gained, specifically stealing bases in baseball, was also very useful. Kyle Johnson and Brett Charlton, who were both Charles’ high school football coaches, created drills to compensate for the flat terrain of Central Illinois.
Last year, Charles received an invitation to compete with the USA Bobsled team at the North American Cup in the Canadian mountains. A member of the USA Bobsled team since October of 2022, Charles Mangold III, hopes to compete as a member of the 2026 Olympic team.
Going for Gold
Charles Mangold III, an older brother to three siblings, refuses to lose a bet to his little sister. Gold is built into their family’s name, and potentially having the opportunity to go for gold as a result of a bet between siblings, is a strong motivator.
USA Bobsled & Skeleton recently launched the fourth season of their Digital Combine. Check it out and see if you have what it takes to pursue an Olympic dream like Charles.
