Gear It Forward, the robotics team made up of students from Oswego High School and Oswego East High School, has qualified for the FIRST World Championship in Houston after back-to-back wins at the Midwest Regional and Miami Valley Regional.
The championship takes place from Wednesday through Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston where Gear It Forward will compete against robotics teams from around the world.
The path to the world championship was not smooth. Both regional competitions started with early struggles that could have derailed the team’s momentum.
But strong teamwork and relentless problem-solving turned those moments into victories — and earned them a spot on the world stage.
Head coach Robyn Mellas watched the team’s resilience firsthand.
“Both of our regional events started off really rough and our team could have gotten down and given up,” Mellas said. “Our team kept cheering just as loud and our pit crew never stopped trying to find the problem and improve our performance.”
Willow Olson, electrical captain for Gear It Forward, experienced that same determination.
“I learned the power of perseverance and community,” Olson said. “As we went through the competition and faced issues we had never seen before, our strength as a team shone as we worked together to identify and fix the problem.”
Peyton Johnson, the team’s strategy captain, saw how every role mattered in those victories.
“I think both of our regionals really showed that everyone’s work on the team matters,” Johnson said. “From scouting to strategy to drive team execution, every role contributed to our success.”
Beyond competition, Gear It Forward won the Engineering Inspiration Award at the Midwest Regional — an honor given to teams that advance STEM in their communities. The team hosts robotics workshops, builds STEM kits for elementary schools, and mentors junior high FIRST Lego League teams.
Johnson recognized what that award represents. “That award means a lot because it reflects effort from the entire team all year long, not just what happens on the field at competitions,” Johnson said.
Olson outlined the team’s goal at Houston.
“Our goal for Worlds is to positively represent our team and community and ultimately win the competition. We have been very competitive at this competition for years, and with the attitude and effort we’re going into this competition with, we will find the success we’re looking for,” Olson said.
Readers can follow Team #2338 Gear It Forward’s competition at the FIRST World Championship at https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2026/DALY. For more information about FIRST and the championship, visit https://www.firstinspires.org/programs/first-championship.