Forty-seven athletes compete in the Big Sky Area Winter Games with Special Olympics Montana
By Jen Clancey DIGITAL PRODUCER
On Monday morning, Big Sky Resort’s Madison Base buzzed as a crowd cheered outside of Headwaters Grille. At 9:45 a.m., Sean FitzGerald, winter games director for Special Olympics Montana and radio host Missy O’Malley announced the beginning of the 15th annual Big Sky Area Winter Games.
Eight teams from the Big Sky area, including Gallatin Valley, traveled to the venue to race in giant slalom. As “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas played under a tent at the base, competitors completed practice laps on the course, set on the “Cupajoe” trail.
One skier that came down finished next to a volunteer he met hours earlier. Andrew Beideman began skiing with Eagle Mount, a nonprofit accessible sports organization, at Bridger Bowl last year and usually skis there.
“I have a leader that guides me through it. And they show me what to do. Whenever you’re pushing down on your right, you’re turning left. When you turn on the left, you’re turning right,” Beideman said, describing how he usually trains. He competed in the giant slalom on Monday.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can do,” Beideman said. Volunteer Kenny Johnson nodded, adding that Beideman showed control around the turns. Though the two were randomly matched, they both believed it was a great fit.
“He reminds me a lot of my dad,” Beideman said.
A little bit later in the morning, Anneka VanAbbema completed her second run on the giant slalom course visible from Madison Base. VanAbbema skis with the Gallatin Valley Bears and has skied since she was five years old.
This was her 15th year competing in the Big Sky Area Winter Games, and has seen the event from its earliest year. “I like all the people and I have fun doing it with people,” Vanabbema said.
As for goals, VanAbbema said, “It’s just to ski my best.”
Vanabbema also competes in the summer and fall Special Olympics. “It’s because I want to be with all my friends,” VanAbbema said when volunteer Jodi Hausen asked what about the event kept her coming back each year.
Sean FitzGerald has been involved in Special Olympics Montana for 15 years. As director of winter games, he puts together the event, connecting with Big Sky Resort, teams and volunteers to continue the tradition.
“All these competitions take a ton of time, energy resources coordination to pull off,” FitzGerald said. He says that every time it is more than worth it. “It’s pretty spectacular … it’s truly one of the best days of the year.”
Many athletes competed as unified competitors. “Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team,” Special Olympics’ website states. In ski racing, this means that the competitor and their teammate’s times are combined for a final result.
“A unified competition basically brings these various individuals together to compete together,” FitzGerald said. For instance, skiers on the Bozeman Yetis team are paired with students in Bozeman public schools in unified competition.
The future of Big Sky Area Winter Games
“We want to have as many Special Olympians competing in this as we possibly can,” FitzGerald said. He also emphasized excitement from the surrounding community, and his hopes that more people will view the Special Olympics as a destination to watch and support athletes.
“I just hope that we can get to those higher numbers and spread the word and where possible, have people support the Special Olympics, because it really is a special opportunity,” he said, referencing high participation numbers he saw pre-COVID.
He encourages people to volunteer for Special Olympics or help out in their own community however they can. “Once you do it once, it’s impossible not to not to keep doing it.”
The competition ended at 3:30 p.m. at the closing ceremony, where athletes were awarded with ribbons for race times. Emcee Missy O’Malley congratulated the athletes and the Big Sky Fire Department assisted in handing out ribbons to competitors.
