Students and staff at Estey School were cheering extra hard during women’s mogul skiing in the Olympics, as alumni Maia Schwinghammer competed for Team Canada.

She finished fifth in the event with a score of 77.61. 2026 is her first time competing in the Winter games.

Sharlene Cooper, one of Schwinghammer’s former teachers at Estey, says she was filled with immense pride seeing her old student compete on the world stage.

“I’m watching Maia in the morning, I’m standing there with my three kids watching her on the phone screen and I’m crying because I’m just full of pride for her because I know how much she’s been chasing this. It’s just such an honour to get to say that I was in her presence when she first started out, and I think that that’s just amazing.”

While Cooper was proud of Schwinghammer for reaching the Olympics, she was not surprised to see her former student compete in the games as she has been incredibly talented and hardworking from the beginning.

“She just carries this confidence with her wherever she goes. Whether that was wth athletics or academics or the arts, when she speaks she’s so confident and you could see that she was mature and that she was extremely dedicated. We watched her progress in her physicality as she trained at Craven Sports and saw grow into this athletic presence.”

Estey School provides a flexible schedule for student athletes who need time for practices and competitions. Cooper says that Maia’s success serves as an inspiration for other students trying to reach the pinnacle of their sport.

“It’s pretty incredible that we have these young people making their way to such a grand stage internationally, and that can be inspiration for anybody who might have their heart set on that pathway. It’s exciting and we’re so honoured to be part of that journey.”

Cooper says that Schwinghammer is welcome to visit her old school, as well as any of the other schools in the Saskatoon Public School Division.