Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics!

by John Dowd

The Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics finished up its forty-third year this week, and for athletes and volunteers, it just means getting ready for next year. For those who attend every year, the games are a way of life, and an annual highlight. With so many in appreciation, including athletes, families and fans, it is important to know what makes these games possible year after year. 

Randy Hodgson, long-time director of the Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics, spoke about the process of getting ready for the games.

For the event itself, many volunteers start Saturday by putting the designed sweatshirts in packages, flatware in pouches for the banquet and more. Sometimes things spill over into Sunday, with volunteers trying to get last minute details in line before the games.

Then, on Monday, volunteers will go up the mountain early to begin staging the event at Lost Trail Ski Area. Volunteers go back up the mountain early again Tuesday to finalize everything before the athletes arrive. 

Following that, practices commence, and the opening ceremony. On Tuesday evening, the banquet is held. All are then up early once again on Wednesday for the main games. Each day is long. For some, as long as 12 hours.

According to Hodgson, the team of volunteers is looking towards the next year almost as soon as each event is over. They talk about what went well, what to improve on, and more. Hodgson said it can be a long four days, but they truly love it.

After the games, the volunteers will begin meeting once a month, starting in October. They will do this until March in order to “make sure everybody is on the same page.” They also talk a lot about improvements every year. 

As for changes for next year they are already discussing, Hodgson said they will hopefully get a schedule up online beforehand. They are also planning to make a map of the event so new teams, athletes and volunteers can more easily find their way around. This year the horse-drawn sleigh did not happen, simply because the parking lot was so icy, but it will be back next year.

As for the athletes and coaches, practice can start almost right away after the games, with some trying to get out to practice whenever they can. However, Hodgson said dirt is just not the same as snow. Some athletes can squeeze some practice in after the games but possibly not much on years like this one, with so little snow.

But even with the poor weather the athletes love it. One athlete attested to this, saying, “This is our world.” That was Frank Zepeda, a team captain with the Bitterroot Stars. He added that seeing the crowds cheer them on is “flattering and makes you feel like a champion.” He said they all put everything into it and it’s the highlight of their year. For Zepeda, and many others, no weather can dampen the spirits this event raises. 

To speak on that, Hodgson said, “It’s all for fun.” Everything they do is with the intention to keep spirits up. Hodgson explained how they are not super concerned with getting athletes points or moving them on to higher competition levels. They believe it is more about doing everything they can for the athletes, really making them feel special and making sure everyone is having a good time. Hodgson said it really shows, and their event stands out because of this attitude.

The games saw 63 athletes this year, which was up about 20% from last year, according to Hodgson. The event also drew 13 different schools and organizations to attend, with a new one from Polson, Grizzly Mountain. 

“The good thing is, we are seeing the return of many athletes,” said Hodgson. He, and other volunteers with the Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics, want to keep that momentum going and plan to try a strong recruitment effort, for coaches, schools and organizations. They would love to get back to pre-Covid numbers, or to even surpass those. 

Hodgson added that people want to help, and there are those working to increase support for the event. A big part is getting more coaches, of which there are not enough to go around.

Coaches are required to go through a background check and take an online course. This course helps teach them to approach situations and work with athletes at whatever level they are. This is available through the Montana State Special Olympics. For those interested in helping out, volunteering or becoming a coach, parties are encouraged to contact Hodgson at (406) 360-1584, or visit bitterrootspecialolympics.org.