Olympic Gold Medalist Brings Medals to Lincoln Kids Museum

Kids in Lincoln, Nebraska got to hold real Olympic gold medals and learn from the champion who earned them.

Curtis Tomasevicz, who won gold in bobsled, visited the Lincoln Children's Museum Saturday as part of its Winter Game Village exhibit. He brought his two Olympic medals, his speed suit, helmet, and bobsled spikes to show young visitors what competing at the highest level looks like.

The visit went beyond show and tell. Tomasevicz talked with kids about the dedication required to reach the Olympics, from training and nutrition to getting enough sleep.

"It's great to get the kids to understand all the work that goes into the sport," Tomasevicz said. "All the training, nutrition, sleep, everything that goes into being a dedicated athlete."

He wasn't the only athlete inspiring the next generation that day. Holly Kubicek, a sixth-grade para-athlete and figure skater, joined the event to share her passion for the sport.

"Especially after the Winter Olympics everyone gets into skating and everything so everyone is like really interested in it," Kubicek said. Members of the Lincoln Junior Stars hockey team also participated, skating with children visiting the museum.

The Ripple Effect

The Winter Game Village exhibit creates more than just a fun afternoon. It plants seeds of possibility in young minds who might never have imagined themselves as athletes.

When kids try on an Olympic medal or hear directly from someone who stood on the podium, the Olympics transform from something they watch on TV into something they could actually do. The exhibit includes a ball ski jump, a bobsled building station, and a podium where kids can practice their own medal ceremonies.

The combination of professional athletes, youth hockey players, and para-athletes shows children that sports welcome everyone, regardless of ability or experience level.

Lincoln families now have a place where winter sports dreams start with trying on someone else's gold medal and skating in socks alongside local hockey players.