CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Another year has concluded for the Special Olympics Winter Games held at Sugarloaf Mountain, bringing the grand total to 50 years of Nordic skiing, Alpine skiing, Snowshoe, Speed Skating, and Dual Ski competitions.
The Special Olympics began in Gorham in 1969 with just a handful of participants and today brings nearly 400 athletes along with their coaches, family and friends to the slopes of Sugarloaf. The year-round program trains adults and children with intellectual disabilities before heading to Carrabassett Valley for three days of competition, community building and celebration. The lineup includes a torch light parade, fireworks, karaoke, a dance, numerous community meals and outdoor activities such as snowmobile rides and ice skating.
This year’s Opening Ceremonies brought three sibling athletes to light the torch at the base of Sugarloaf- Valerie, Vincent and Gracie Giles of Boothbay Harbor. The siblings were chosen for the honor of the lighting after losing their home to a fire during last year’s competition.
“Valerie practically jumped out of her shoes when I told her. They were very excited to do it,” Coach and teacher Toby LeConte said.
LeConte was the one to deliver the news to the Giles children last year. She has worked as their teacher and coach since they were little and said she was very careful about delivering the news.
“I wanted to make sure the news was given well. I tried to stress to them that everything else is replaceable except for them, to never go back in the house for anything. Several of their dogs and cats did not make it out which they were very sad about,” she said.
LeConte took the children into her home for the majority of the year while their housing situation got sorted out.
“The community has worked really hard to put together a new used trailer for them,” LeConte said.
The three children wrote thank you notes for every single person involved with helping them out, LeConte said.
“They wrote millions of thank you notes. I’m very proud of them,” she said.
