MANKATO — The excitement could nearly be heard outside of the gym at Washington Elementary on Friday.
“I just got a high five by an Olympian!”
That was the reaction of many students as they rushed up to Olympic curler Aidan Oldenburg following a talk he gave at the school Friday morning.
“He’s from the area, from Mapleton, and his mom and someone here at Washington know each other and so we approached our PBIS team, our positive behavior intervention and support team, about bringing him in so that he could not only talk about his Olympic experience, but most importantly, talk about all the things that one has to do to be successful,” Principal Ann Hagerty said.
Throughout the talk, Oldenburg included examples of values included in what the school refers to as their “Paws language,” which include respect, safety and hard work.
“Anytime you can bring real-life folks in to share their story, it helps kids dream about what they could do. They’re not all obviously going to be curlers, but they’re all going to be amazing at something,” Hagerty said. “But to do that, it takes things like being respectful and working hard and not giving up and following your dreams and all the things that we talk about a lot. When you bring someone in that can showcase it, especially when they’re local, I think it helps ignite another spark.”
That spark was lit in Oldenburg years ago, and it was part of what made him want to come back to the elementary school his mother attended when she was a kid.
“I remember growing up hearing from people that had achieved success,” he said. “I remember watching us men win gold in 2018, and (even though) we didn’t win a medal this year, being able to share some of that experience (is important).”
The curler is currently enjoying his offseason and being home. With competition starting sometime in August, the summer will mostly be spent in the gym, getting ready for the year ahead.
Much of Oldenburg’s talk focused on his time in Italy for the Winter Olympics. In a talk after the presentation, he reflected on the moments that meant the most to him this winter.
“The first game (stands out). We went out and played Czechia, and it was all of our first Olympics. I walked out and my family were already sitting in the crowd, and so they cheered me on as I walked out of the tunnel and then went out there, played the game and won on our last shot,” Oldenburg said. “Being able to go see them all, see all my family members and give them a hug after, that meant a lot.”
While that specific story may not have been shared, plenty others were, and Oldenburg says one of his favorite parts about an event like this is just seeing how all the kids react.
“Being able to talk to them and engage them in something that I’m passionate about means a lot to me,” he said.
That opportunity, and the ability for students to hear from Oldenburg himself, is what Hagerty enjoys about these talks.
“Opportunities for kids to see themselves and their options for the future and what it takes to get there, I mean, it’s really what we do every day, right,” she said. “It’s just a unique opportunity to put somebody in front of kids that they don’t always get to hear from.”