Go, Team Del Duca! It’s a cheer that echoes from a kindergarten classroom at Elsmere, where dozens of students have formed a special connection to the Winter Olympics. They are learning about science, geography, and perseverance through a real-world link to the winter games—by becoming pen pals with bobsledder and U.S. Olympic flag bearer, Frankie Del Duca.
At the request of kindergarten teacher Nancy Davis, Del Duca agreed to correspond with the students in her class and their fifth-grade “buddies” in the weeks leading up to the winter games in Milan, Italy. The buddies are students in Peg Buffaline’s class. The older students visit the kindergarten class regularly to read with their buddies and help them with other activities.
The Olympic pen-pal project has aligned perfectly with the kindergarten science unit, Davis said.
“We have been learning about forces and motion in science, and so it’s been a perfect fit,” said Mrs. Davis.
Through Del Duca’s emails, students have explored how pushes and pulls power winter sports, how speed is controlled through steering rather than leaning, and how physics plays a role at every turn.
“We have also discussed time zones and the history of some of the tracks or sports,” said Davis. “We have also used the VR (virtual reality) goggles to see what some of these places look like.”
It’s not the first time Davis has used the Winter Olympics to engage students. The month-long exchange with Del Duca grew out of Davis’s longtime connection to sliding sports.
That connection began more than 12 years ago when Davis and her family met luge athlete Aidan Kelly in Lake Placid. At the time, Mrs. Davis encouraged her then-students to cheer on Kelly as he worked to qualify for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Japan.
Mrs. Davis has also tapped the talents of retired middle school science teacher Cheri White, who created hands-on experiments tied to winter sports, allowing the kindergarten students to practice and observe the same push-and-pull forces used in bobsledding.
The experiments and classroom discussions have prompted lots of questions for Del Duca, sent via email by their teacher. Del Duca has explained that no one leans in a bobsled; instead, “the driver steers using handles in the front of the sled.” He also shared that sleds have no back so the brakeman can jump in quickly, and that he has reached speeds of 96 miles per hour while racing.
He also told the students that Germany will be the hardest to beat.
“They have the fastest starts, great drivers, and great equipment,” said Del Duca.
The students were especially interested in Del Duca’s more personal responses. He shared that he started bobsled because he loves racing, speed, and training with sprints, jumps, and weightlifting—interests that come together in the sport. He told students he can bench press 335 pounds, though he joked that it’s his weakest lift because bobsledding emphasizes lower-body strength.
One of the highlights for students came on February 3, when it was announced that their pen pal, Frankie Del Duca, would join speed skater Erin Jackson, as the only two official U.S. flag bearers for the opening ceremonies.
When asked about crashes, Del Duca was honest, explaining he has crashed 10–15 times over 11 seasons, experiencing concussions, burns, and bruises, but never a more serious injury.
Students are also learning about resilience and mindset. Del Duca said what keeps him striving to improve is always trying his best, loving the sport, wanting to win, and keeping his crew safe.
When asked about difficult times, he credited his family for helping him overcome challenges. He spoke openly about fear as well, describing early nerves on the world’s fastest track and explaining that controlled nerves can sometimes help performance.
One of the highlights for students came on February 3, when it was announced that their pen pal, Frankie Del Duca, would join speed skater Erin Jackson, as the only two official U.S. flag bearers for the opening ceremonies.
As the Olympics enter their first full week, the Elsmere students, staff and families will be cheering on Del Duca, his bobsledding teammates, and Team USA.
View the 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledding schedule here.
