Five athletes from Beaver County are to compete in alpine skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing on Feb. 10-12 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
Five Beaver County athletes are getting ready for their own Olympics competition at the Special Olympics Pennsylvania 2026 Winter Games, to be held Feb. 10-12 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County.
The Beaver County team will join over 400 athletes, coaches and volunteers from Pennsylvania and Virginia for two days of athletic competition in alpine skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, as well as taking part in an inspiring opening ceremony, awards presentations and a victory dance.
The five athletes representing Beaver County in the Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) 2026 Winter Games are: Alec Fraser, alpine skiing; Cayla Galbreath, alpine skiing; Micah Mamone, snowboarding; Gabriel Davis, snowshoeing and James Hersick, snowshoeing.
Their coaches are Susan Mamone, snowboarding; Craig Mamone, alpine skiing; Chris Galbreath, alpine skiing and Joe Hersick, snowshoeing.
As athletes gather at the resort Feb. 10 for the start of the Winter Games, over 100 Seven Springs Mountain Resort employees are planning to jump into the icy cold water of "Bear Force One," Special Olympics Pennsylvania's Mobile Polar Plunge unit, at 4:30 p.m. to raise money for Special Olympics.
Opening ceremonies were to begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in Festival Plaza and include the official lighting of the Olympic cauldron by SOPA athletes and members of law enforcement. Spectators are welcome to participate in the opening ceremonies and cheer on the athletes.
The opening ceremony celebration will also honor a group of more than 100 athletes and coaches who will represent Pennsylvania at the Special Olympics USA Games, including Beaver County athletes Gabriel Davis and Micah Mamone, who will compete in basketball at the national games in June.
The Winter Games' athletic competition begins at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 11, with snowshoeing events held at Bubly Park and the alpine skiing and snowboarding events on the slopes at Seven Springs. Ticketed skiers and riders are encouraged to watch and cheer on the athletes as they compete.
The first day's events end with a dinner and victory dance for the athletes to celebrate their accomplishments with their friends.
Competitions resume at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 12, with events concluding at 1:30 p.m. and awards presentations to follow.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania provides year-round training and competition in 21 Olympic-type sports to more than 15,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities.
This is the third year that Vail Resorts, which owns Seven Springs, has supported Special Olympics Pennsylvania through its Vail Resorts Epic Promise Foundation, which provides lift tickets, rental equipment and lessons to SOPA’s winter sports program.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Five Beaver County athletes going to Special Olympics PA Winter Games
Category: General Sports
