"Cool Runnings" is not only driven by story but also by memorable characters, like John Candy's Irv Blitzer, who ESPN notes is loosely inspired by George Fitch, and Sanka Coffie (Doug E. Doug), the egg-touting brakeman who is unsure about adapting to the cold. Dudley "Tal" Stokes wrote on the subreddit r/IAmA that while the film is largely fictional, it has helped Jamaica's bobsledding program.
The movie even inspired Matthew Wekpe, a member of the 2022 Jamaican bobsled team who could be spotted with a plastic egg. That year also marked the country's return to the four-man bobsled competition in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 1998. In response to the film's popularity, the 2022 team recorded a song that they shared during an interview with NBC Sports, which includes lyrics in reference to their team being much more than a movie plot.
As for how the 1988 team's story became a big-screen inspiration, Stokes told CNN Sports that the idea started with Fitch. As for the comedy presented in the film, he noted that it was something that was also felt in real life. "It was started with what, you know, was really a comedy. A lot of what we did at first was comedic. But then over the years, we really became competitors and operated at the very highest level. And that was a journey in itself," he said.
