Deputy 'The Bloodhound' Helped Son Jordan Stolz Win Olympic Gold

While most parents ferry kids to practice after work, Deputy Dirk Stolz spent nearly three decades working night shifts so he could coach his children during the day. His son Jordan just thanked him with multiple Olympic gold medals.

Dirk Stolz earned the nickname "The Bloodhound" during his 29-year career with the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin. Sheriff Martin Schulteis says Dirk built a reputation for finding suspects who didn't want to be found, choosing to stay on night patrol his entire career because he loved the work.

But nights had another benefit. His wife Jane worked days as a dental hygienist, meaning one parent was always home with their kids Jordan and Hannah.

In 2010, both children became mesmerized watching speed skater Apolo Ohno during the Winter Olympics. Five-year-old Jordan and six-year-old Hannah begged their parents for skates, and Dirk and Jane created a short track on their frozen backyard pond.

Jane didn't trust the ice at first and made the kids wear life jackets. But both children took to skating immediately, insisting on racing and going fast every time they stepped on the ice.

Dirk knew his kids had something special when they fell during races. "Some kids would probably sit on the ice and pout, but when these two fell while racing, they bounded up and continued to race," he said.

The family started taking trips to the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, where Olympians have trained since 1992. Dirk balanced coaching with the demands of law enforcement, including a 2010 incident where he and another deputy stopped an armed suspect who fired at them during a standoff.

Placed on administrative leave after the shooting was ruled justifiable, Dirk spent those days off taking Jordan and Hannah to their first formal speed skating sessions. Years of early morning practices and backyard training followed.

Why This Inspires

Jordan Stolz recently made headlines sharing one of his Olympic gold medals with President Donald Trump during a Wisconsin appearance. But the real story is the quiet sacrifice behind those medals: a father who worked nights for nearly 30 years so he could be present during the day, turning a frozen pond into an Olympic training ground.

The Stolz family chose real-world play over screens, family time over career advancement, and patience over shortcuts. Now Jordan stands as one of America's most recognizable winter athletes, fresh off gold medals and world championships.

From backyard ice to the world stage, one deputy proved that being present matters more than being prominent.