It was a cool 17 degrees at Bristol Mountain on Saturday, February 22nd for its cross country competitors at Special Olympics New York. The snow was freshly groomed after heavy snowfall from the days before, with a clear sky and the sun glistening through the ice-covered trees. The athletes prepared for their races at Bristol’s Summit Center, where they are fitted with their racing bibs, equipped with ski boots, and given words of encouragement by their coaches.

Five athletes prepared for their mid and long-distance races, some of which have been training for years. With four athletes from the Central Region: Vincent Femia, Kim Kinsey, Kevin O’Donnell, and Mark Yarwood, and one from the Genesee Region, Mitchell Vahue which made for a small but strong competition pool. “I’m going for gold!” exclaims Mark Yarwood to one of the coaches, Larry Kolwaite.

In addition to the five athletes that competed at Bristol, a few dozen athletes learned cross country skiing skills at the snowshoeing competition at the Rochester Community Sports Complex in Rochester, N.Y.