This page draws together cross country skiing-related information for all of Special Olympics. The coaching materials and other links will help you get a good sense of how this sport contributes to Special Olympics.
About Cross Country Skiing
Cross Country Skiing is offered as one of 4 Special Olympics snow sports, along with Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowshoeing. Cross Country Skiing has been a Special Olympics official sport with events at the World Games since 1977. There are over 41,000 athletes in the sport of Cross Country Skiing across 6 global regions. Cross-country skiing (commonly abbreviated XC skiing) is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles.
The Cross Country Skiing Guide
Special Olympics coaching guides are the key source of coaching information for our volunteer coaches worldwide. The guides are written by experts in the sport who understand that people with intellectual disabilities need extra time and attention to master new skills. The guides are helpful to anyone teaching a sport but are especially valuable when coaching Special Olympics athletes.