Special Olympics on Big Mountain a success

Whitefish Pilot

Team Whitefish had five competitors in this year's Special Olympics on Big Mountain — Michael Nesbit, Kyler Morrison, Hallie Schelling, Drew Watson and Cedar Vance. The five athletes competed in the alpine competitions, a downhill race and a gates competition.

The team is part of the 250 athletes that competed on Big Mountain Monday and Tuesday for the Special Olympics. There were also more than 110 coaches and 200 volunteers.

Sherri Sadino has been the head coach for Team Whitefish for the past five years. She enjoys watching the confidence and ability of the athletes improve over the course of training and competing. The events also teach them responsibility because each athlete is in charge of organizing their own gear and being on time.

Bobbi Hall is one of seven volunteers helping Sadino. She has been volunteering for six years and is also Cedar Vance's mother. Before starting work with the Special Olympics, Hall and Vance would go cross-country skiing and horseback riding together at their ranch. Hall says these activities have helped her daughter with balance and confidence.

Hall says she enjoys watching how hard all the athletes work to achieve their goals.

"It's not a simple task of just going down the hill," Hall said. "When they cross that finish line, it's just a joy. It's kind of beyond words."

Along with her role as head coach, Sadino is a special education teacher at Muldown Elementary, where she teaches third and fourth grade students. She has been a teacher for 13 years and enjoys working with the students and seeing their confidence and ability improve.

Before the competition, Sadino asked her athletes to write down their favorite part of the games. The answers varied, but most enjoyed spending time with friends and being around new people. Morrison's answers were similar to most of the athletes, but he also liked learning how to "fit in."

"It kind of gives them a social group to be with," Sadino said. "It's kind of the highlight of the year for these guys."

The athletes take one afternoon per week, for eight weeks, to travel up the mountain for ski practice. The DREAM foundation takes the time to help assist, and the Sportsman Ski Haus helps out by donating ski gear.

"Without them, we wouldn't be able to do it," Sadino said.

Throughout the year, Team Whitefish holds a car wash, a truck raffle and an online auction to raise funds for the event. The annual Penguin Plunge brought in more than $25,000 this year. Morrison also helps with raising money by speaking with local clubs and by participating in the Plunge.

In this year's Special Olympics, the Whitefish team won 15 medals and one ribbon. But it's not the number of medals or ribbons that matters to Sadino — it's more about seeing these students succeed.

"Every person is a winner, whether it's a ribbon or a medal," Sadino said. "It's great, the camaraderie they build."