While the slopes of Italy might be thousands of miles away, Silver Lake Elementary P.E. classes are participating in their very own 2026 Winter Olympics, thanks to the creativity of teacher Cynnara Bivin.
The idea came to Bivin after being selected to be a torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics through a contest sponsored by Coca Cola, one of the major sponsors. An avid athlete who played basketball, softball and tennis growing up, Bivin carried the torch through Fort Worth as it made its way to Salt Lake City, Utah.
“I didn’t know about the nomination that my mom submitted until I received the letter that I had been chosen,” Bivin recalls. “I grew up in a competitive family and sports were always part of what we did.”
That honor inspired her to start adapting the games into her P.E. classes in 2006, while a teacher in GCISD.
“The idea just came to me. Once I decided I wanted to incorporate the Olympics, I wanted my students to get the whole experience.”
This year’s Winter Olympics in Silver Lake’s P.E. classes began Monday, February 9, after the opening ceremonies, and continue until Friday, February 20. P.E. students have been participating in student-versions of this year’s winter games, including speed skating, hockey, skeleton and more.
For example, for speed skating, students raced around cones while sliding paper plates beneath their feet. For hockey, they individually maneuvered rubber balls around cones using plastic hockey sticks.
“They are building endurance, muscle control, teamwork and physical skills—all while having fun,” Bivin stated.
But it’s not just lining up and competing.
To familiarize students with the events and build vocabulary that might be new to them, Bivin shows students videos from the races happening in the Olympics, answering questions and seeing the excitement build in students’ eyes.
Then it’s time to compete.
Posters of countries are papered on gym walls and students line up next to the country they represent during the class. Those posters also have the medal counts for the class Olympians.
In addition to making P.E. fun, Bivin shared that it’s “getting them excited for something that is current and going on in the world. It’s also building a great memory that they will carry for the rest of their lives.”
