Despite an unfavourable weather forecast, nearly 2,000 young fans and their accompanying adults gathered to cheer on the world’s top biathletes, inspiring them to push their limits and set new records. This year, the children participated in a unique way to win tickets to the competition and join the Children of Triglav on Pokljuka campaign – by submitting recipes featuring local ingredients. With creative banners, roaring cheers, and energetic dancing, they encouraged their winter heroes to showcase their best abilities at Rudno Polje for the tenth time.
“I’m delighted that so many schoolchildren and children, including my girls, came to watch me win here, in this familiar, local venue on Pokljuka. Every time I leave home, they ask if I’ll win. But I want to show them, and all young fans, that life isn’t always easy – you have to persevere and, above all, believe in yourself. They mustn’t turn a blind eye to reality or assume everything is as it appears on social media and TV,” said the Slovenian biathlon star Jakov Fak, reflecting on his victory in front of his youngest supporters. He added, “Sport is an area where every victory is earned, which makes you appreciate it all the more.” “Even when the results don’t come, if you know you gave your best, you value your effort and accept that it just wasn’t your day. Both the joy of victory and pain of defeat are part of life, and young people need to understand that. At the same time, they must realise that achieving their goals requires hard work. I strive to be a role model for young people, and I urge them to take these insights to heart.”
Watching the men's competition and the women's individual event
After the challenging weather conditions as Wednesday turned into Thursday, the dedicated organising team on Pokljuka ensured that the primary and secondary school students could enjoy the women’s individual event in the morning alongside the men’s event, completely carefree. As Anamarija Lampič confirmed, the bright smiles and enthusiastic cheers of the young fans certainly motivated many competitors to perform at their best. “When I was in primary school, such campaigns weren’t common, even though they would have meant a lot to us. I definitely would have gone. You get to attend a race and see top athletes. I’m sure everyone has their idols, and seeing them in person is priceless.”
Special event ticket, fan dance, and banners
Beyond witnessing the best male and female biathletes in action, the young fans embraced the unique experience of a day spent in the great outdoors. This year, they earned their tickets by submitting recipes featuring local ingredients. From the many entries, an expert jury selected three winning recipes: the bilingual primary school Dvojezična OŠ II Lendava submitted a recipe for vegrač (a vegetarian version of bograč stew), OŠ Sava Kladnika Sevnica presented ravioli stuffed with Krško Polje pork, and the Ljubljana School of Economics created “an urban dish for city dwellers – a jump on the plate”.
In addition to the cooking competition, the young(est) fans also participated in the “Best Fan Banner” and “Best Fan Dance” contests, actively contributing to the vibrant atmosphere of the event. The top three fan banners were designed by pupils from the primary schools OŠ Moravče, OŠ Ormož and Dvojezična OŠ Lendava. Meanwhile, the winning choreography was performed by pupils from the primary school OŠ Leskovec pri Krškem.
Tenth generation of Children of Triglav on Pokljuka
For many years, the Triglav Group has been inspiring children and families to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle through the Children of Triglav campaign, which includes visits to sporting events and the installation of playgrounds. “In cooperation with the Pokljuka Organising Committee, we wanted to once again offer young visitors a special experience in nature and, following the example of the athletes, show them through various activities that a healthy and active lifestyle can also be fun. We are especially proud that this year we have brought the 10th generation of children to Rudno Polje, and over the years, we have provided this experience to nearly 22,000 children and their companions,” explained Tjaša Kolenc Filipčič, Director of Marketing at Zavarovalnica Triglav.
Photos from the event are available at the following link. The photos were taken by Anže Kacin/Pokljuka OC.
