Winter Games special for athletes, escorts
VERNON. Alpine skier Aaron Bono, 31, of Wantage lights torch at opening ceremony at Mountain Creek.
Wantage /
| 17 Feb 2023 | 03:35
Aaron Bono, 31, of Wantage carries the torch down the mountain to light the flame for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics New Jersey 2023 Winter Games on Feb. 6 in Vernon. (Photo courtesy of the Special Olympics) (
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Samuel Pisauro of the Vernon Mountaineers does a time trial at the Special Olympics New Jersey 2023 Winter Games at Mountain Creek. (Photos by John McCormick Jr.)
Edwin Castro of Union City competes in alpine skiing in the intermediate Super G and intermediate giant slalom events.
Maureen Larsen of Sea Isle City does a time trial to determine her placement in the competition.
About 250 athletes competed for medals in the Special Olympics New Jersey 2023 Winter Games last week.
“For a lot of the athletes, this may be the first time they have been out of the house on a trip like this and get to stay here at Mountain Creek,” said Jeremy Davis, senior director of marketing and communications for Special Olympics New Jersey.
“The winter games have been played for over 40 years and it is a great experience for the athletes.”
People with disabilities from throughout the state took part in several different events Feb. 6-7: alpine skiing and snowboarding at Mountain Creek in Vernon, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at the National Winter Activity Center in Vernon and speed skating at Skylands Ice World in Stockholm.
Competitors’ ages ranged from 8 to 80. They were split into divisions based on skill level to ensure a fair competition.
Two or three athletes from New Jersey are chosen to compete in the Special Olympics World Games, which will be held in June in Berlin, he said. One of them is Aaron Bono, 31, of Wantage who competes in alpine skiing.
Bono carried the torch down the mountain to light the flame for the opening ceremony.
His father and coach, Larry, said he introduced Bono to skiing about 10 years ago and he was a natural. He also plays other sports, including bocce and track and field.
Each athlete had an escort who coached them through the competition. For most, the escort is a family member or friend; for others, it was a volunteer.
Anna Cooper of Oceanport in Monmouth County was an escort for Kevin Ritter from Eden Adult Services. Ritter competed in intermediate giant slalom and intermediate Super G, placing first and second, respectively.
“It’s a cool opportunity to grow the support and donate some of my time,” Cooper said. “This is actually my first season, and it’s a lot of fun to just get to spend time with one athlete and build a relationship.”
The Special Olympics continues with spring sports, such as basketball and bowling.
For information, go online to https://www.sonj.org/