Olympic gold medal skier Hannah Kearney '15 welcomed the athletes and encouraged them to try their best.
"Competition is great because it pushes you beyond what you thought your limits were," she said.
"Greatness isn't about winning or losing," Gendo Allyn Field, founder of The Upper Valley Zen Center, said in his introductory speech at the opening ceremony.
To initiate the Games, Jennifer Mayfield of the Upper Valley Hawks, a team that has competed in the Special Olympics for 15 years, lit the Olympic flame and her teammate Michael Stoodley led the athletes in the athlete oath "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." The Dartmouth Aires also led the crowd in the national anthem.
Julie Tantillo, an alpine skier and Upper Valley Hawks member, had a minor fall during one of her races but recovered immediately. Tantillo said the best part about the Games is "being with friends."
"I did my best," she said.
Approximately 250 Dartmouth students volunteered at the annual Games this past weekend, according to volunteer coordinator Katie Robins. Robins said the majority of students registered to volunteer online.
"In the past few years the Games have grown in terms of volunteers," Games Director Pete Bleyler '61 said.
Marietta Smith '12 spent the day cheering for the alpine skiers with fellow members of the Dartmouth women's golf team.
"It's a great opportunity for team bonding and to give back to the Upper Valley community," Smith said.
Smith is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
Garrett Schmidt '15 was one of 20 freshmen from the Dartmouth football team who volunteered at the Games.
"I was a cheerer, so I made my way from event to event cheering for the athletes," he said. "I had a great time."
Schmidt's teammates Keith Hamren '15 and Ben Spiritos '15 were team ambassadors for the Upper Valley Hawks and walked in the opening parade with the athletes, including Dartmouth Dining Services employees who Hamren and Spiritos knew from preseason, Spiritos said.
"It's a great opportunity for the community, Dartmouth students, high school students, older people, everyone, to get involved," Bleyler said.
Robins credited "the energy and good will of the athletes and volunteers" for making the day a success.
Ten-year-old Mason Stuart of White Mountain Special Olympics was thrilled to be competing in his first Games, he said.
"I like winter because of the snow," Stuart said.
Matt Almeida, a member of the White Mountain team, described the Games as "awesome." His advice for participants was to "do whatever you can do, have fun and be safe," he said.
Eleven-year-old Crystal Carter, a White Mountain snowshoe athlete, had a huge grin on her face while waiting to compete.
"I'm happy about the Special Olympics," she said.
According to Lillian Jones of the Claremont Cool Cats, snowshoeing is difficult but fun.
White Mountains snowboarder Jacob Patneaude began the competition feeling slightly nervous but overcame his fears by the end of the day, he said. He likes snowboarding because "it's better than skiing," he said.
Student Director Haley Carstensen '12 said the Winter Games is her favorite day of the year.
"The positive energy and how sincerely happy everyone is for each other make it great," she said.
"I love the spirit of the day. Everyone comes together to support the athletes and the competition," Robins said.
The Upper Valley competition began in 2003 as a community service initiative of The Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley, Bleyler said.
