[Trending News] Special Olympics Maine concludes its Winter Games

AUBURN — Inside Edward Little High School on Wednesday night, Peter Mahoney mingled with other Special Olympics athletes and waited for the closing ceremony to begin.

There was no swagger in Mahoney’s step. He didn’t stop to brag to anyone.

He’s a pretty modest guy, this Peter Mahoney, for one walking about with three gold medals hanging around his neck.

“I did pretty good, I guess,” the 26-year-old from Winslow said.

Mahoney, who has autism, picked up those gold medals in the speed skating event at Norway Savings Bank Arena. Now, like hundreds of other athletes, he was kicking back and waiting to be celebrated.

The Special Olympics Maine Winter Games had come to a close. They did it all in one day this year because while Wednesday’s weather was glorious, Thursday’s was not looking so good.

No matter. By all objective standards, the Winter Games were a smashing success.

“It was just an awesome day,” Ian Frank, president and CEO of Special Olympics Maine, said. “We had over 400 athletes competing in four different sports. Everybody was in great spirits and showed some great competitive spirit out there, too.”

Wednesday night, with a torch lighting, dance and parade of athletes, Frank said, was for “celebrating everybody’s good work today.”

That good work includes the efforts of the many volunteers who came out to help. It also includes the athletes and their families.

One proud mother? Meredith Kerr of North Yarmouth. She and her 41-year-old son Timothy, afflicted with the rare genetic disorder Williams Syndrome, had the time of their lives.

“He said to me in the car that this has been one of the best Special Olympics he’s ever been a part of,” Kerr said. “The weather was so lovely and the skiing conditions were awesome. The organization of this day was just unbelievable.”

The unseasonable weather, with temperatures reaching for 50 degrees, made being a spectator for her son’s downhill skiing event a delight, Kerr said.

Meanwhile, Megan Rosenberg is 33 years old and has been participating in the Special Olympic games since she was in middle school.

Megan, who has a cognitive learning disability, participated in downhill skiing, slalom and other ski events, picking up medals for fourth and seventh place.

“I had a really good time,” she said.

Special Olympics Maine is a year-round sports training and competition program for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. More than 5,000 athletes are involved each year.

If the athletes who gathered for the closing ceremonies were tired come Wednesday night, it didn’t show. Impressive since they started early and had been competing all day.

In the morning, there was snowshoeing and cross country skiing at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. Then it was alpine and dual skating at Lost Valley followed by speed skating at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn.

When all the athletes, their families and the volunteers were finally gathered in the Edward Little High School auditorium, the torch was lit outside the building but the event was broadcast so that everyone in the gym could see it.

It was both opening and closing ceremony for the 2025 Winter Games.

As Mahoney continued to walk the halls, mingling with his peers and others, he was asked several times how he did in this year’s games. At one point, rather than answering aloud, he just lifted his three gold medals and let them clang together.

Modest until the very end.

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