By Lydia Hammer 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Special Olympics New York 2026 (SONY) held its gymnastics competition as a part of its Winter Games. The event brought athletes together to compete on Feb. 21, 2026 in the Henrietta Recreation Center. The room buzzed with chatter as friends — and rivals — reunited to do or watch gymnastics. 

The gymnastics competition began with a series of warmups. Athletes prepared themselves and their bodies for the competition in a variety of ways, from stretching as one athlete counted down, to practicing their skills on the floor, bars, vault, rings and balance beam. 

“We do a lot of stretching,” stated Special Olympic gymnast, Susan Clark. 

Clark grew up in Rochester, and has been doing both Special Olympics and gymnastics since she was a child. She joked that as a 53-year-old competitor, she did not always do all the stretches, as she “would need some water and some Tylenol” after that. However, she also said she felt confident she would be at the top of her game regardless. 

“Be at your best,” she urged fellow competitors. “It would take that to beat me.” 

By Lydia Hammer

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Feb. 21, 2026, was a momentous occasion for hundreds of athletes as they participated in various sporting events at Special Olympics. However, for Madison Csont, the day was extra exciting, as she celebrated not only winning 1st place for Division 11 floor at gymnastics, vault and beam, but also turning 32.

Csont has competed in the Special Olympics for years and said she considers herself pretty competitive.

When asked where she had competed, she stated, “I’ve been to Atlanta, Seattle… Orlando”

Her sporting career began in high school, where she was on a gymnastics team that she described as “pretty good,” but she has been a gymnast since she was three years old. Since then, Csont has been a part of Special Olympics for over a decade, serving on the Athlete Leadership Council.

Csont was given a birthday balloon, which she carried around with her between performances. The audience and other competitors sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for her after her floor routine.

Music began to play as the athletes assembled on the mats after warmups. People in the audience held up signs they had made for athletes with various colors and encouraging slogans. 

“My nieces did it,” said Sandra Hammond, when asked about the signs she and her niece Evelyn Dahlnan held. “I just supplied the paper and the markers.” 

One sign stated, “Emma Rose, strike your pose,” referring to Sandra Hammond’s niece, Emma Rose Dodici 

Dodici usually competes in skiing — a sport which she has been doing for 15 years — in the winter and gymnastics in the summer. However, when gymnastics was moved from summer to winter, she had to choose between the two, and she chose gymnastics. She will additionally be representing New York as a gymnast in the National Special Olympics in Minneapolis, Minn., in June. 

As the competition moved forward, the national anthem played, and competitors recited the Special Olympics Athletes’ Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” 

Clark grew up in Rochester, and has been doing both Special Olympics and gymnastics since she was a child. She joked that as a 53-year-old competitor, she did not always do all the stretches, as she “would need some water and some Tylenol” after that. However, she also said she felt confident she would be at the top of her game regardless. 

“Be at your best,” she urged fellow competitors. “It would take that to beat me.”