More than 250 athletes took to the snow and ice February 4-5 for the annual Special Olympics New Jersey Winter Games. Spring-like weather (high of 60 degrees!) and sunny days were definitely unusual for the normally chilly competition, but it seemed to be a win-win situation for the athletes, families, 100+ coaches and 300+ coaches that attended.
Check out highlights from the two days of competition:
The Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon, NJ was home to alpine skiing and snowboarding, while Skylands Ice World in Hardyston hosted speed skating competition. New this year was the National Winter Activity Center in Vernon, which allowed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing athletes a chance to experience a brand new venue for their competition.
It was an incredible two days filled with emotion, hugs, friendship, inclusion, defeat, triumph, and just about everything in between.
Thank you to everyone involved in making it a memorable event for our athletes. pic.twitter.com/EAqzG6N2jg
— Special Olympics NJ (@SONewJersey) February 5, 2019
One highlight of Winter Games was the much-anticipated Opening Ceremony on Monday night. Athletes skied down the slopes to deliver the torch and light the cauldron at the mountain base. Fireworks followed the ceremony, and athletes were invited to an exclusive dance party in the Red Tail Lodge for a night to celebrate their successes and prepare for their next day of competition.
This was the 36th year that Mountain Creek hosted the Winter Games for SONJ.
And with that, the 2019 Winter Games are officially underway.
Major thanks to @DeltaDental and @mountaincreek for their support of tonight’s Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/BxO0pB1ssA
— Special Olympics NJ (@SONewJersey) February 5, 2019
Thank you to everyone who helped us put on such a memorable event for our athletes!
Results can be found at the links below:
Cross Country Results By Athlete
Cross Country Results By Event and Division
Figure Skating Results By Athlete
Figure Skating Results By Event
Snowshoe Results By Event and Division
Speed Skating Results By Athlete
Speed Skating Results By Event and Division
Snowboarding Results By Athlete
Click the links below to see the photos from the 2019 Winter Games.
Every single one of the ski patrollers who volunteered for the Nordic Events at the Winter Games in 2019 is coming back for 2020, and they’re bringing friends. Trust me…you should volunteer. You’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.