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Bobsled brat
Napier's place in bobsled was already in the making prior to starting the sport at age eight. His father, Bill, was a bobsled driver from the 1960s throughout the 1980s, and his mother, Betsy, also drove bobsleds before passing the torch to her son in 1994. "It's a legacy I have to uphold too, so it's not just all about me in my mind," Napier says. "I'm also doing it for a bigger purpose." His father also served as President of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
Driving to stardom
Napier's growing dominance on the track, both nationally and internationally, has steadily progressed over the last four seasons. Having won several titles in the overall America's Cup standings in both the two-man and four-man events during 2005-06, Napier reclaimed the top spot in two-man in the America's Cup competition in Lake Placid in 2008. He also claimed four more golds in the four-man event that same year. At the 2009 Worlds, Napier piloted USA-3 to a top-20 finish in both events -- 17th (two-man) and 11th (four-man) -- adding him to the 2009-10 World team, with Steve Holcomb and Todd Hays in the first two positions, respectively. His first-ever World Cup gold medal followed in November 2009 when he and brakeman Chuck Berkeley edged out Holcomb in the two-man event on his home track in Lake Placid.
Soldier on
Napier is a sergeant with the Vermont National Guard and has been a member of the World Class Athlete Program since joining the Army at age 20. "I joined the Army because I had nothing else ... I'd been bobsledding my whole life ... and the Army opened other doors for me," he said. Napier, who takes online courses through Ashford University in Iowa, participates in recruiting missions in the summer and credits the Army for their unwavering assistance throughout his bobsled career. Napier says he would like to join his unit in Afghanistan upon the conclusion of the Vancouver Games, as he says it's his "obligation" to return the favor. "I have close friends who have lost their lives," Napier said. "I feel like it's my time, after the Olympics, to go serve, to do my part.
Away from the track
Napier says he's always looking for a new adventure and enjoys more extreme activities such as cliff jumping, riding his Suzuki JSX motorcycle and wakeboarding, adding "I enjoy anything crazy!"
