KEWASKUM, Wis. — The Village of Kewaskum is hosting a parade to honor Olympic gold medalist speed skater Jordan Stolz, who grew up in the area. As part of the celebration, Fond du Lac Avenue has been temporarily renamed Jordan Stolz Avenue.
"That’s kind of crazy!" Stolz said. "It’ll be kind of cool to see the first street named after me."
The parade is on Friday at 4 p.m., starting at the Kewaskum Public Library.
Stolz said it is an unexpected honor to have the street renamed after him. He appreciates the support from the community and hopes the recognition inspires others.
Watch: Kewaskum honors Olympic gold medalist Jordan Stolz with a hometown parade and a renamed village street
"It’ll be cool to see the appreciation that’s built up around me," he said. "You never know which skater is going to come up and be really good. I was inspired, obviously, and became an Olympic champion, so you just never know! I just hope they’re not competing with me at the same time, haha!"
Village Administrator Adam Gitter said the best part about the parade is inspiring young kids to take up skating and pursue their passions after seeing someone from their hometown make it to the big stage.
"If another kid decides to pick up a pair of skates, snowboard or whatever it is and say, ‘I’m going to try one of these sports, and maybe I can make it to the Olympics,’ then they’re on the right path to do something great with their life," Gitter said. "It’s very children-focused to help provide inspiration, and I think he does a really great job of it."
The parade starts on the road right next to the library, runs through the main street of town, and ends at the high school. Following the parade, there will be a Q&A session with Stolz at the field house.
Local storefronts are getting into the spirit of the event. Happenstance Clothing put up Olympic rings, a U.S. flag, and a sign for Stolz. The excitement is also reaching beyond Kewaskum.
"Some kids and their parents at the rink have come up to me and said, ‘We live in Sheboygan, and now we come down here!’'' Stolz said. "That’s even further than I would want to drive, so that’s pretty cool."
Stolz grew up training at the Pettit National Ice Arena in Milwaukee.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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