Hastings’ resident and Sharks Athlete Michael Froehling has been a part of Special Olympics Minnesota for 19 years where he has participated in a wide variety of sports. Froehling qualified and was selected for one of two snowshoeing roster spots for the World Games in Turin, Italy which took place March 8-15.
Snowshoeing looks just as difficult as it sounds when it comes to racing. The races are identical to their track and field counterparts with two exceptions, runners are performing on the inconsistent surface of snow, and they do so with snowshoes which add a tremendous amount of bulk to the lower body’s movements.
The first race Froehling competed in was the 4x100m Relay where he and his teammates won the bronze medal with a combined time of 1:42.93. Gold went to the team from Chinese Taipei with a time of 1:22.87 and silver to Italy with a time of 1:29.04.
His first solo race was the 200-meter race where he won gold in his flight with a time of 42.36. Froehling edged the second-place runner by just .44 seconds for an exciting finish and a trip atop the podium.
The final race for Froehling was the 400-meter race where he placed fifth with a time of 1:50.85. Fellow American Brandon Waller won the flight with a time of 1:14.1.
Once he returns home and celebrates his gold medal, Froehling’s sights turn to the Summer Special Olympics 2026 which will be held here in the Twin Cities. Being an exceptional athlete, he qualified in swimming, track and field and golf, but selections have not been made at this time.
Congratulations Michael on your well deserve medals!