One of my true joys as president of the University of Colorado is showcasing the people who make up our CU community. Because of our amazing students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and others, the university is a national leader in research, innovation, health care, the arts and humanities. Extraordinary work happens across our campuses, which is shaping our collective future and changing life as we know it.

This past month provided plenty of opportunities to spotlight CU given how well represented the university was at the 2026 Winter Olympics. As I tuned in to watch the games with the rest of the world, I was struck by what it takes to reach that level of competition and how Olympians can teach all of us lessons that can be applied to every walk of life. 

CU has a long tradition at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with hundreds of our student-athletes and alumni competing on the world stage over the decades. This year saw eight known Olympians from CU Boulder at the games, one from CU Denver, and UCCS was proudly represented in Italy by Mountain Lions Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who helped USA Figure Skating win gold in the team event. UCCS has strong ties to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, with many Olympians enrolling at the campus and earning their CU degrees over the years.

Regardless of where they call home or which event they’re competing in, however, Olympians demonstrate awe-inspiring athletic prowess and precision, as well as a seemingly endless reserve of drive, determination and discipline. It’s clear that nothing less will do, and yet representing one’s country in this global celebration also requires much more: It requires heart.

We see this same phenomenon when we cheer on our Buffs and Mountain Lions. Our student-athletes display impressive amounts of heart no matter the outcome, win or lose. And for every minute they spend in a game, match or competition, our student-athletes have spent hours training and practicing with no crowd to cheer them on. I leave our athletic events inspired and hopeful about the future, knowing our student-athletes can apply this spirit of complete commitment and the pursuit of excellence to other aspects of their lives – now and in the future.   

They’re certainly applying it to their academics: In fall 2025, the Mountain Lions recorded an overall GPA of 3.38, with all 14 athletic programs achieving at least a 3.0 GPA – the 43rd consecutive semester UCCS Athletics earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Colorado Buffaloes, meanwhile, achieved another major milestone in the classroom, earning the highest fall semester GPA in team history with a 3.29 combined mark for 317 Buffaloes.

By necessity, our student-athletes become adept in the skills we strive to cultivate in all our students at CU, including critical thinking, collaboration, grit and hard work. To succeed on the playing field and in the classroom requires a certain level of mastery of these skills. 

While not every student-athlete at CU goes on to compete at the Olympics, they train, practice and compete with everything they’ve got. They demonstrate over and over what can be accomplished when you’re dedicated, driven and prepared.   

With the 2026 Winter Olympics now closed and the 2026 Winter Paralympics about to get underway, I want to congratulate all the members of our community who competed or who will compete. And to all our student-athletes who continue to show up, do the work and approach their studies and their sports with such grit and heart, I want to let you know that all of us at CU are incredibly proud of you.