Second annual Roy-llerski event will be held virtually during July

TURNER — The second annual Roy-llerski event — held to honor the memory of Roy Varney, a Nordic skier at Leavitt Area High School — will be held during the month of July. Participants can rollerski, run or bike to commemorate Varney’s legacy and receive prizes.
The New England Nordic Ski Association and The Maine Outdoor Wellness Center in Turner will be co-hosting a virtual version of the second annual “Roy-llerski” fitness competition and fundraiser for the month of July.
Jenny Wilbraham, who skied for Morse High School and was a great friend of Varney’s, created the meet-up event last year to honor him. Several members of the Maine Nordic ski community came together to “rollerski for Roy” and to honor him last July. The goal was simply to bring together the nordic community for solidarity, remembrance and be there to support one another. Varney skied for Leavitt Area High School, was a multiple Class A state champion, a KVAC champion, and one of the top high school Nordic skiers in Maine; he passed away in a farm accident in July 2019.
This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, things will be a little different; instead of coming together in person, NENSA and the MOWC will hold this event virtually. Using the date of Roy’s passing (7/1/19), the challenge is to ski, run, rollerski or bike ride 71.19 km OR for 71:19 (1h:11m:19s), spread over a couple of days if need be. The event is open to the public regardless of experience and age.
In the 2nd annual (virtual) Roy-llerski, there are five different competitions to enter and prizes will be rewarded! The small entry fee will go towards The Maine Outdoor Wellness’s 2020 fundraising initiative, which will be used in the development of trails for running, biking and skiing. The MOWC is being created in Turner and will have Nordic, bike, and running trails as well as a biathlon training facility. It was Varney’s dream to have such a center in his area.
The goal is to have fun, stay safe and take the spirit of the journey with you! Sharing photos or GPS tracks is highly encouraged. Registration is currently open via SkiReg (www.skireg.com/roy-llerski) and participants will input their photos and their data via a Google form.
For more information, contact jenwilb.ski@gmail.com or dustin.williamson@msad52.org.