To Trenton D’Agostino, a two-time Special Olympics snowboarding gold medalist, sports are as much about helping others as they are about the competition.
Trenton D’Agostino competed as a snowboarder in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy in March and won gold in two out of the three events he competed in. The Boone Town Council presented Trenton D’Agostino with a key to the city upon his return.
“I was more nervous because there were so many people watching from back home — my mom, my dad, my coaches — and I had that pressure of ‘you’d better do good,’” Trenton D’Agostino said.
Trenton D’Agostino’s father, Steven D’Agostino, said the athlete’s younger brother told him he could not come home unless he won gold.
Trenton D’Agostino competed in the slalom, giant slalom, and super-G — also known as super giant slalom. In the giant slalom and super-G, he won first place with respective times of 1:57.45 and 45.18.
“I was expecting a tough competition,” Trenton D’Agostino said, mentioning the plethora of competitors and the language barrier as challenges. Trenton D’Agostino said he would ask his parents, who watched from home, to text him his scores.
“I’m like, ‘Trenton, you got a first place. That’s a gold, right?’” said his mother, Melinda D’Agostino.
Trenton D’Agostino has been snowboarding for about seven years. Although he competes in a variety of sports, snowboarding and pickleball are two of his favorites.
Craig Lands, assistant director of the Watauga County Parks and Recreation and local coordinator for the Special Olympics in Watauga County, said the organization always needs volunteers — and when Trenton D’Agostino is not competing, he is one of the first to step in and help.
He’s working on his skills, but he’s also compassionate enough to work with those and try to help them. He’s like another coach for us,” Lands said.
Trenton D’Agostino said leadership is an integral part of his role as an athlete.
“I know a lot of the athletes look up to me, and they can talk to me, and I’ve always been able to help with that,” Trenton D’Agostino said.
When the town council learned about Trenton D’Agostino’s achievements, they awarded him a key to the city, the first given since 1983.
“Maybe part of the reason the key to the city model hasn’t been used in a while is nobody felt like the right fit, but an Olympian bringing home a gold to their home town is well within the key to the city territory,” Mayor-elect Dalton George said.
The town council awarded Trenton D’Agostino the key to the city during a council meeting with his family, coaches and members of the community in attendance.
George described Trenton D’Agostino as “someone who makes meaningful connections” and “recognizes that we can contribute to things bigger than ourselves.”
Trenton D’Agostino said he views Special Olympics through the lens of the greater community.
“It’s not about the competition or anything. It’s about the family, because once you are involved with Special Olympics, you will always have that family,” Trenton D’Agostino said.
Trenton D’Agostino listed places he would use the key, such as his coach Jake Harkey’s office, if it were not glued to a plaque.
“I was trying to take the key off to open Jake’s office at the police station, but it didn’t work,” Trenton D’Agostino said, smiling. He also joked about wanting the keys to Watauga County Parks and Recreation next.
Since the games, Trenton D’Agostino has continued training and competing with Special Olympics. In October, he competed in the Special Olympics North American Tennis and Pickleball Championships in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
“The love for Special Olympics is always going to be there for me, and if that’s me as an athlete or me as a coach, I’m always going to be involved with it,” Trenton D’Agostino said.
