With Colorado Springs being the Olympic City of the U.S., it is no surprise we have dedicated parts of our campus to representing that pride.
Right in the heart of our campus is an Olympic statue that stands approximately 30 feet tall. The statue, the “Olympian and Paralympians Among Us,” was designed by artist Bernard Sandoval.
Construction on the statue began in Apr. 2023. The intention of the statue is to honor students that have participated in the Olympic and Paralympic games. It is meant to promote excellence, friendship and respect, determination, equality, inspiration and courage in the community according to a UCCS Communique.
The statue has five 8-inch-wide spirals in the Olympic colors jutting out of a two-tier base. The base has plaques placed around each tier to honor students that have competed in the Olympic and Paralympic games while also attending the school full time.
The plaques honoring students that have competed in the Olympic and Paralympic games. Photo by Josiah Dolan.
In an interview with Fox21 News, UCCS said that more than fifteen thousand athletes travel to Colorado Springs to train and prepare themselves for the games that are coming up. When they are not training, many of those athletes will choose UCCS to start or continue their education plans.
Construction completed for the statue on May 30, 2023, and there was a dedication for the new statue. The ceremony honored student athletes at UCCS. Two of these students are Apolo Ohno and Amber English, both of whom are Olympic medalists and have dedicated plaques on the tiers of the statue.
During the dedication ceremony, Ohno stated that whilst training in Colorado Springs, that it “connected me not only with nature, but with that raw, true intention of strengthening my mind, my spirit and my body.”
Along with Ohno and English, there have been other UCCS-affiliated Olympians that have brought home medals, such as Jennifer Valente for cycling, Kevin McDowell for triathlon and Addie Gray for freestyle wrestling.
Six out of the 113 medals in 2020 Tokyo games were taken by UCCS students.
The five 8-inch-wide spirals in the Olympic colors. Photo by Josiah Dolan.
The “Olympian and Paralympians Among Us,” designed by Bernard Sandoval. Photo by Josiah Dolan.