You could not ask for a greater day than climate clever. Plenty of sunshine, not a cloud within the sky, temps close to 20 levels, nicely it is North Dakota in January.
For the second yr in a row, the Valley Metropolis Particular Olympics Winter Video games have been held at Chautauqua Park. 5 cities have been represented by 23 athletes. “Our numbers are down a little bit bit this yr,” stated Brian Hanson, sports activities director for Particular Olympics North Dakota. Hanson added, “Final yr was our first Winter Video games in two or three years as a result of coronavirus outbreak, so progress has been good. We need to be certain we proceed to construct our athlete numbers.”
Previous to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Winter Video games have been at all times held in Botino at Botino Winter Park. However then, after a hiatus, plans modified. “Then with COVID and making an attempt to come back again, we determined to do a one-day occasion, earlier than it was a two-day occasion,” Hansen stated. “So the athletes would journey all the way in which to Botino and keep in a single day. So we figured, let’s take a look at one thing a little bit extra centralized so folks can journey down and again in in the future.”
On this glorious winter day, there have been two sports activities of various lengths, snowshoeing and cross-country snowboarding. 14 occasions have been performed in whole.
After the competitors ended, the athletes and volunteers loved some good meals and dialog on the Dakota Pavilion. This was adopted by an awards ceremony the place the athletes have been awarded bronze, silver and gold medals for the third to first positions and ribbons for the fourth to backside positions.
If the awards ceremony is any indication, these athletes love cheering on their buddies, whether or not they’re from the identical staff or completely different groups, and it does not matter in any respect who takes first, second, third…and many others. “That is very completely different from a highschool sport,” stated Nancy Hanson, President and CEO of Particular Olympics North Dakota. “I imply, everyone cheers for one another,” Hanson continues. “They nonetheless need to win and do an important job, however you’ve got seen that if folks aren’t as quick as everyone else, everybody there may be chanting ‘go on, go on’ after which unexpectedly they get this enhance of power that they should end the race. That is cool, I really like my work “.
Learn the complete story, and see the pictures and winners, on Tuesday, January 24, within the Document Instances. Purchase your paper copy of Right now’s Paper from the TR workplace (146 third St NE, Valley Metropolis), native gasoline stations and grocery shops, or an digital copy by clicking Subscribe within the higher left nook of www.times-online.com Homepage.
