BLOWING ROCK, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Every year, Special Olympics athletes take on Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock.
“We host the Southeast Regional Alpine Games,” says competition director Jake Harkey, who says 162 athletes participated this week.
The pursuit of excellence takes trial and error to move onward and upward.
“Cause we’re on that hill, ha!” says Trent D’Agostino, who wasn’t about to be the “fall guy” on camera.
“So, what you’re saying is you don’t want to look dumb,” Harkey jokes. “Haha, oh yeah, we’ve got a GoPro on!”
The ski lift takes Trent up to the Big Appal, as in Appalachian. Start “shredding” the news.
“What I enjoy about it is the thrill,” says D’Agostino, who lives just a few miles away in Boone.
It’s been all downhill since he first started snowboarding at age 10.
“I don’t really know how to explain it, it’s just adrenaline going down as fast as you can,” he said. “Just the thrill of having the open slope to you.”
Harkey has watched D’Agostino’s rise and falls over the years.
“He’s fallen so many times,” Harkey says. “But the thing about Trent is he keeps on getting up and keeps on going and now, he is one of our fastest snowboarders.”
Next month, D’Agostino will represent the U.S. at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The opening ceremony is March 8.
“The competition with the other athletes, I enjoy that more than the medals,” he tells Queen City News.
“He deserves that opportunity to showcase his abilities. He’s a leader in our community; he tries really hard,” says Harkey.
As D’Agostino explains, when he was much younger, finding his way with a disability at times seemed like an uphill climb. But sports from pickleball to snowboarding have lifted him to new heights.
“When I first learned about my disability, I did have a lot of issues figuring out who I would be and how that would work, but Special Olympics has helped me with that,” he said.
D’Agostino will be joined at the World Winter Games by athletes like skier Stephen Foster of Fairview and Charlotte figure skater Ashley Tanner.
Between runs, things get silly, and if you’re lucky, it’s on camera.
“Are you recording?” a competitor says, sticking his tongue out.
“Let’s not do that,” D’Agostino says.
“How about this?” his buddy kids, thumbing his nose at our GoPro camera.
“Getting to know the competition,” he said of his favorite part of the experience. “We all hang out, it’s like a big old family.”
But seriously folks, after years of proving the doubters wrong, Trent is ready to ride the momentum to the world stage.
“Don’t let your disability hold you back,” he says.
