They pursued Olympic glory, now these entrepreneurs are chasing their startup dreams.
When Ted Ligety was shredding the slopes, he wanted more from his goggles. Mainly, the alpine skier was looking for something with a little more style -- so he decided to make his own.
Ligety launched a goggle line, Shred Optics, with a friend in 2006, the same year he took home the gold for the men's combined alpine skiing event, which includes downhill and slalom.
Before Shred Optics, Ligety said many companies made racing-specific products that were bland in appearance. He wanted to create a balance between functional racing goggles and the more mainstream products with attitude.
"I wanted to have a company that embraced both sides," the co-founder and president said. His line took existing racing technology and tweaked the designs, adding bright neon colors to the eyewear.
Since then, the company has expanded to include helmets, sunglasses and other racing accessories. The business has also gained worldwide traction, distributing its products to countries as varied as Austria, Chile and Lebanon.
Ligety hopes to compete in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. If he makes it there, he'll, of course, be decked out in his own gear.