Stories

When Third Graders Meet a Changemaker

April 14, 2026

It started with a lot of questions.

Earlier this year, Third Grade students watched Where She Lands, a short film about Annika Malacinski, a Nordic combined skier from Steamboat Springs who is pushing for women to be included in her sport at the Olympic level. Nordic combined, which combines ski jumping and cross-country racing, is still the only Olympic sport that does not allow women to compete.

The students couldn’t quite believe it. And they wanted to understand why.

So they did something about it. They reached out to Annika and asked if she’d talk with them.

She said yes.

During a Zoom call with the class, students asked her everything they’d been wondering about. What it feels like to keep going when the answer is no. What it takes to push for change. Why this matters. Annika answered honestly, and in a way that made sense to them. Her advice was simple. Keep showing up. Use your voice. And if you want to help, start by paying attention. Watch. It matters.

Afterward, students wrote in their journals about the experience:

“She never gave up when her sport got denied at the Olympics, and to me, that is perseverance.”

“I feel inspired by her because she taught me to never stop chasing my dreams.”

“I learned that you don’t need to be anyone special. You just need to believe in your dream and work really hard.”

One student kept coming back to a different question: How can I help?

Now that question is leading somewhere. As part of their Changemaker work, Third Grader India W. has invited other students to learn more about Annika’s story and write letters to the International Olympic Committee in support of women’s Nordic combined.

There’s a real decision coming. The IOC is expected to decide this June whether women will be included in Nordic combined at the 2030 Winter Olympics.

The students are paying attention.

And they’re starting to understand that learning about change is one thing. Being part of it is another.