Scott Pladel started as a track athlete at Columbia High School near East Greenbush, New York. In his senior year he was New York state champion in the triple jump. He then attended Northeastern University where he triple jumped on the track team. Pladel was recruited to bobsledding because of his athletic ability and was on the US team from 1985-92. He then returned to school, earning a physician’s assistant (PA) degree at Northeastern. He currently works as a PA in orthopaedics and sports medicine for a Harvard affiliated medical group and at the Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Pladel also competes in professional golf long driving competition.