Story byThe Joplin Globe, Mo. Laurie Sisk, The Joplin Globe, Mo. Fri, January 16, 2026 at 11:37 PM UTC·3 min readIn a little less than three weeks, the 25th rendition of the Winter Olympics (officially called Milano Cortina 2026) gets underway in Northern Italy. I could not be more excited. Winter games always bring edge-of-the-seat action, from the dangers of Alpine skiing to ski jumping and luge, there seems to never be a lack of spine-tingling moments as athletes risk life and limb for Olympic glory. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut despite the thrills these brave athletes provide, it’s the heartwarming human interest backstories I enjoy the most. This year, no story is more touching than that of U. S. Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumoz. His parents and coaches, Vadim Naumoz and Evgenia Shishkova, were among the 67 people who died when the American Airlines flight they were on collided last year with a military chopper in Washington, D. C., resulting in the loss of 28 members of the U. S. Figure Skating community. His parents were former 1994 Olympic champions in pairs, skating for Russia, and up until their deaths they served as Maxim’s coaches. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSomehow, Maxim was able to return to training, carrying the grief of his loss with him.
