Ep. 128: Olympian & Trial Lawyer: Discipline, Advocacy & Winning with Rich Ruohonen

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Rich Ruohonen — partner at TSR Injury Law, six-time Minnesota Lawyer of the Year, and the oldest US Winter Olympian in history — for a conversation about what it actually takes to excel at two extraordinarily demanding careers at the same time.

Rich has been curling competitively since the 1980s while building one of Minnesota's most successful personal injury trial practices. He's tried close to 1,000 cases and lost 12. He's won national championships, come agonizingly close to the Olympics multiple times, and finally made it this past February at 54 years old — called out of retirement when a teammate fell ill with a rare autoimmune condition. And while he was there, he did something that made headlines far beyond the ice.

What we explore:

✅ How He Did Both: Writing opening statements on planes, working seven days a week in the off-season, leveraging remote work and Zoom appearances to curl in Saskatchewan and still show up for clients. What it actually looked like to build two careers in parallel for 30 years.

✅ What Elite Sports Taught Him About Trial Law: The Fight Club — how TSR's trial team practices opening statements in front of 50 staff members before ever walking into a courtroom. Why lawyers don't practice nearly enough. And why telling jurors it's their job is something most lawyers are too scared to do.

✅ The Crossover Between Curling and the Courtroom: Sports psychology, team dynamics, how you talk to people under pressure, and why the mental skills Rich developed on the ice made him a better lawyer — and vice versa.

✅ The Olympic Press Conference: Why Rich stepped up to speak about the rule of law and ICE enforcement in Minnesota during the Olympics, what he said, the backlash he received, and why he stands by every word. What using your platform as a lawyer and public figure actually looks like.

✅ Core Values That Drive Both: Discipline, determination, attitude, effort, and passion. Why none of his success feels like luck when you look at how he lives every day.

Note: This episode includes discussion of immigration enforcement, politically charged events in Minnesota, and threats Rich received following his Olympic press conference.

If you've ever wondered whether the skills that make a great lawyer and a great athlete are the same — this episode answers that question definitively.

📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory.