The education and services coordinator at the MCG’s Australian Sports Museum in Melbourne oversees a powerful (and thrilling) excursion offering that has been connecting primary and secondary students with some of Australia’s greatest sporting heroes, including champions of the pool, ice rink and even the ocean. 

Picioane, who comes with 25 years classroom experience, says the beauty of the ‘Meet an Olympian’ excursion is that teachers can really tailor the experience to meet the learning needs of their class.

Whether it be a focus on physics, maths, or an uplifting lesson on goal setting, leadership, perseverance or personal triumph, Picioane says she carefully matches each Olympian with the specific cohort of students coming in.

“We try to encourage teachers to let us know if there’s a particular curriculum area that they're looking at – it could be STEM.

“So, for example, we've got (former Olympic ice speed skater) Richard Goerlitz, who presents. So often, I’ll get him to speak to secondary students and let him know that that's what they're focusing on. 

“So, students would be looking at the forces, energy, speed and motion involved, the friction on ice and how the skates have changed (over the years).

“Another great one is Dean Hewitt, he's a curler, which is exciting. He was in the last Olympics and he talks about friction and motion, and shows the two different shoes that they wear - the one gets a bit of a slide, the other one helps them grip.”

Synchronized swimmer Coral Byron is also a regular feature in the program who explores elements of STEM though the lens of her unique sport.

“She talks all about the weight of the water and having to push up off the ground, off the base, or being able to float and different things.

So all the science that are [behind these sports at the elite level] now.”

Former Olympic sailor Tess Lloyd is also available to deliver a gritty message around what it takes to overcome the odds and the reward in backing your dreams even when they might seem totally impossible.

“During training, [Lloyd] got hit by a board and then had to learn how to walk and talk and everything again.

“So she'll even talk to the little primary school kids and say, ‘[my experience was like] when you fell off your bike, but you just love it that much that you just get back on and you try your best…’

Curling champion Dean Hewitt unpacks aspects of friction and motion with students during a tailored STEM-focused session.

The presenters make a point of not shying away from sharing the tough reality of what it took to become the very best in the world.

“They talk about trying to balance their social lives with their commitment to sport. So they do tell the students that, really, if you want to achieve elite level, you have to sacrifice some things, and some of them might be family events…”

Goerlitz also shares the message that it’s all about training to be the best the YOU can be, Picioane adds.

“He talks about how he once went out to ‘try and beat somebody else’ and how if I'd only he’d stuck to his own training, he would have had success.”

Feedback from teachers is very positive, she reports, with educators appreciating the way in which the Olympians frame resilience and the importance of not giving up through their sporting reflections.

“For the kids, they're just excited to meet a real-life Olympian, but they like being able to share their story as well.

“So, there's plenty of time for the students to share what their sporting achievements are or ask questions - we always have a Q&A time at the end.”

The questions issued are usually pointed and highly specific, Picioane laughs.

“A lot of the students ask the Olympians, ‘how much do I have to put in? What do I have to eat?’ They talk about diet and sleep, and trying to balance it with school as well.

“So they get a really good overall understanding of what it's like to be an elite athlete, whether it's being an Olympian or just the highest you can achieve at your own level.

“They get a lot of feedback from the Olympian firsthand.”

To concide wiith the 2026 Winter Olympics, MCC had offered schools an early bird incentive of a 20 per cent discount, but for those that have missed that opportunity, all is not lost. 

"Something educators can look out for again in Term 4, is we plan to offer the early bird promotion once more," Picioane says.