May 8, 2026 – Slinger, Wi – Three-time Olympic medalist Jordan Stolz returned to familiar hallways as he recently visited Addison Elementary School, where nearly 300 students, parents, and teachers packed the gymnasium to hear from the hometown speed skating sensation. The event featured a lively question-and-answer session, plenty of laughter, and a message centered on hard work, perseverance, and humility.
“I just wanted to say thank you all for watching me,” Stolz told the crowd. “I saw the video where you guys were all enjoying watching me race and jumping up and down. That was pretty funny.”
Students at Addison Elementary gathered for Winter Olympic watch parties earlier this year as they cheered on Stolz during his races on the world stage. Principal Joel Dziezic reminded students of the excitement surrounding those moments.
“I hope you guys remember… .we got to watch Jordan race. He did an outstanding job. Made us all super proud and super excited.”
The Olympic champion answered questions ranging from his training routine to whether he ever wears his racing suit in public.
When asked if his Olympic races were difficult to win, Stolz did not hesitate.
“Yeah, it was super hard to win,” he said. “I won by a decent amount, but it was still hard leading up to it. So, it was just a lot of time and a lot of training going into it.”
Stolz explained he currently owns two Olympic gold medals along with dozens of medals earned in competitions around the world.
“I have two Olympic gold medals and probably 80-something other gold medals,” he said. “But the two of the most important medals are the Olympic.”
He noted that Olympic success carries extra meaning.
“The Olympic ones you only get every four years if you’re even able to race well enough to win,” Stolz said. “Luckily I was able to get three medals, two golds and a silver, and I’m super happy with that and look forward to another four years.”
Stolz reflected on how much he has grown since his first Olympic experience as a teenager.
“The last Olympics I was 17 at the time and wasn’t quite nearly as strong as I now,” he said. “Eventually I got there over the last four years. The first year after the Olympics I won my first world championship and kept winning more and more.”
Despite his dominance on the ice, Stolz joked with students about the less glamorous side of speed skating gear.
When asked if his racing suit is uncomfortable, he laughed and admitted, “It can be. Yeah. If it’s sweaty for sure.”
And no, he does not wear it around town.
The Olympic medalist shared that he first began racing at age six or seven. That answer brought the elementary school house down.
For coach Bill Jacklin, seeing a former Addison student return as an Olympic champion carried special meaning.
“To have someone from our school make it at the largest stage of competition, I am so proud of him,” Jacklin said. “You never would think it when he was in school. He’s just a fourth grader and pretty quiet. It’s great for the community, great for everybody.”
Teachers and students alike left inspired by Stolz’s visit.
“One of the things I enjoyed most was that he had a message of perseverance and hard work,” said parent Cassie Off.
Another student enthusiastically summed up the day with childlike honesty: “I liked how he won and I liked his medals and I liked his racing suit and his glasses,” said first-grader Liam.
Parents and staff praised Stolz not only for his accomplishments, but also for the humility he displayed while representing his country on the Olympic stage.
“Jordan Stolz is an amazing role model for all of these kids and he’s so humble,” said parent Jacquelyn Haas. “After every race, he gave it everything he had and then he was so humble in accepting his gold medal. He was just a great representative for the United States of America.”
On a side note: Like all of his personal appearances, Stolz stayed after to acknowledge everyone one-on-one, offer a fistbump, a photo, or an autograph for students, parents, and teachers alike.
-Stay tuned tomorrow for outtakes from the event including a Jordan Stolz chin-up challenge and a look ahead to the 2026-27 ISU Speedskating season.
