Athletic Trainer and Olympic Athlete Help Elementary Students Go For Gold

At Manz Elementary School in Eau Claire, the excitement of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games is mirrored in their three-week summer program, which began on July 8.

Themed "Going for Gold: What’s YOUR Gold Goal?" the program aims to help students understand the importance of goal setting and teamwork. Principal Angela Funk stated: 

“The idea is to help students understand that they are capable of setting goals and achieving them with the help of a team."

With the Olympics around the corner, Manz students and staff are incorporating Olympic themes into their courses, focusing on competition, sports, and activities.

“It is a perfect fit with the Olympics coming up, because that is something our students are excited about and teachers are incorporating Olympic competition, sports, and activity into their instruction during these three weeks.”

The program also features guest speakers who provide real-life Olympic insights. Ben Rockwell, an Athletic Trainer with the Mayo Clinic Health System and a veteran of nearly 10 years with the Olympics, spoke to the students about his experiences.

He recently served at the gymnastics trials in Minneapolis and shared stories about working with Olympic athletes.

“With this experience, I was exposed to trampoline, acrobatics, tumbling — I had never been exposed to that before so it was really fun to see that and experience it.”

His daughter, Aurora, a Manz student and gymnastics enthusiast, was thrilled to have her dad share his Olympic journey with her peers.

Additionally, students met Olympic weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen via Zoom. A native of Eau Claire, Theisen-Lappen spoke about her journey from track and field to weightlifting, inspiring students with her story of hard work and support.

“Mary spoke about her goal setting and becoming that Olympic weightlifter and how she was really helped by a group of people, too.”

At the start of the program, students set personal goals ranging from daily walks to racing a teacher. As the program continues, students learn about the support system needed to achieve their goals. Rockwell said: 

“If they want to do something like this — if they want to be an Athletic Trainer or go into the medical field and work with Olympic athletes, I hope they can see that it’s possible.”

Funk added: 

“They can be simple goals, such as making a new friend, or reading something new or beating Mr. Scott in a race. But including this idea that we know what a goal is and who is going to help us get there is huge for kids.”

The program not only encourages physical activity but also instills the importance of community and teamwork, helping students strive for their own "gold goals."

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