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FEATURE
Olympics-inspired Destinations
Get in the game
with these active
adventures by MeLinda Schnyder
Is the competitive spirit from the 2024 Paris Olympics still pulsing through your veins? Or maybe you’re looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics happening in Italy, or the return of the Summer Olympics to the U.S. in Los Angeles in 2028. You don’t have to wait to create your own golden experiences at these five North American destinations with former Olympic venues and current Olympics training centers offering active adventures.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
aka Olympic City, USA
Colorado Springs’ Olympic ties are unrivaled. The area has natural training grounds for summer and winter sports – dare to tackle the 2,744-step Manitou Incline – as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, where you can tour facilities that attract 10,000 athletes each year. The city is home to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Headquarters along with dozens of national Olympic governing bodies, but the top reason to visit Colorado Springs is the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Opened in 2020, the
attraction integrates technology and artifacts to bring to life inspiring personal stories culled from more than 12,000 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes across more than 100 years of Olympic and Paralympic history. Run a 30-meter dash against a virtual opponent or test your reflexes in goalball, a sport played by visually impaired athletes, in the Athlete Training gallery. You can also experience the parade of athletes and medal ceremonies among the 12 galleries in the 60,000-square-foot museum. It’s not unusual to run into former Olympians inside the museum; keep an eye on their event calendar for meet and greets.
16 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2024