The Community School District Special Olympics team traveled to Sugarloaf Mountain for the 50th winter games Jan. 26-28. The team won 11 gold medals, 14 silver, 11 bronze and 13 ribbons. Teacher and Coach Toby LeConte said she was impressed with the team’s growth in skill and its sportsmanship and show of team support.

Zander Blake put up such good runs down the mountain, Channel 6 interviewed him. “I was on the news. Channel 6. I got two first places and a bronze.”

“He was skiing at his best,” said LeConte. “He was skiing fast and was in fairly good control for level three. What'd you say in your interview?”

“I don't like going fast,” said Zander.

“Yes, but he kept doing plenty of 'fast.'”

The evening the team arrived at Sugarloaf, everybody piled into the onsite accommodations, brought their gear inside and got ready for a community dinner. Said LeConte, “Year after year we have a big community supper. There are all kinds of people from the community who make American chop suey, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, chicken cacciatore, all kinds of meals. They donate those to Special Olympics.”

After the community supper, athletes made their way to the cross-country skiing and speed skating area for karaoke. Anthony Angelico said he was excited to see the lighted torches coming down the mountain and the fireworks after the overall competitions. Valerie Giles said she enjoyed the community dance that came after the competition. “The theme was masquerade, so there were tons of masks. But because we have a little one who's scared of masks, we didn't wear them.”

On the first day, every athlete was paired with an instructor who explained the rules in the athletes’ event levels and showed the athletes around the mountain. Later that day, all teams attended the opening ceremony to sing the national anthem and witness the lighting of the torch. Olympian Seth Wescott and Miss Maine were there.

Next came the trials which worried several of the skiers, because to finish, one has to hit every gate, and some of the CSD athletes missed one or two.

Said LeConte, “In the Special Olympics, if you stop and get up around the gate that you missed, you don't get disqualified … We had another team meeting and I said … better you finish the race than get disqualified.”

After the pep talk and during the competitions, not one athlete was disqualified for failing to hit their gates. Blake Chadwick did miss a couple gates in his three races, but he ended up going back to hit them and managed a strong fourth place in both the giant slalom and slalom courses and sixth in the super-G.

Valerie Giles, who won two silver medals and a fourth place ribbon, explained that each athlete is placed in a level of competition that matches their comfort or ability to race among peers close in age. Athletes will usually start in level one and work their way up.

“There are four levels of skiing,” said Giles. “Gracie and I are level four, so we go up to the tippy-top of the mountain.”

LeConte said skiing newcomer Kora McKenney came into the Special Olympics as a level one athlete, but quickly improved and rose in a way that came as a pleasant shock to the team. Said McKenney, “I started down in level one and after one and a half days I got up to level two. I got third in the slalom, second in the giant slalom and eighth in the Super G.”

All the athletes eager to talk about their time up on Sugarloaf said it was a lot of fun and that they cannot wait to do it again. LeConte said it was also one of the biggest growing years ever.

“Some of our boys are ready to start at level three. We're going to start Anthony and Coyle at level three. Kora grew very much and Valerie and Gracie were at level four, Gracie being one of the fastest skiers up there … I'm just proud of them all. And next, we're going on to our basketball season.”

Results: In the giant slalom event, Blake Chadwick took fourth in the 12+ category as a level 2 skier; Amber Hyson, second, 12+, level 3; Valerie Giles, second, 12+, level 4; Vincent Giles, first, 12, level 3; John Piper Rankin, second, 12, level 3; Isaac Pray, 4th, 12, level 3; Grace Giles, second, 11, level 4; Kora McKenney, third, 6, level 2; Zander Blake, third, 6, level 3; Anthony Angelico, second, 6, level 2; Lucian Stoddard, first, 4, level 2; Coyle Lawler, eighth, 3, level 2; Ronda LeConte, fourth, adult; Matt Farnham, fourth, adult; Donny Dunning, fifth, adult; and Joey Ranco, second, adult.

In the slalom event: Chadwick took fourth; Hyson, third; Valerie Giles, fourth; Vincent Giles, second; Rankin, sixth; Pray, fifth; Grace Giles, first; McKenney, third; Blake, first; Angelico, second; Stoddard, first; Lawler, seventh; Ronda LeConte, first; Farnham, first; Dunning, third; and Ranco, second.

In the Super G: Chadwick took sixth; Hyson, third; Valerie Giles, second; Vincent Giles, first; Rankin, third; Pray, eighth; Grace Giles, first; McKenney, second; Blake, first; Angelico, 23rd; Stoddard, second; Lawler, third; Ronda LeConte, first; Farnham, second; Dunning, third; and Ranco, second.

Izabelle Hamlin was the only CSD team member to race in the 200m snowshoe. She took third.