LAKE PLACID — The Della Rocco family was out in full force last weekend in Lake Placid, making the journey from the Capital Region to the Empire State Winter Games.

Gale Della Rocco, a sophomore at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, made her third consecutive appearance at the winter games and won three bronze medals. Her brother, Taylor, a seventh-grader at Berne-Knox-Westerlo, participated for the first time.
Gale and Taylor’s uncle, Michael Della Rocco, of Altamont, is a veteran of the games, still racing at 55. His wife, Jullian, said she is "really impressed" with him.

On Saturday, the three Della Roccos competed in all snowshoe racing events — the 100-, 200-, 400-, and 1,500-meter races — at Paul Smith’s College, just outside of Saranac Lake. Sunday, the Della Roccos ran the 5 kilometer race at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Complex.

A Berne native, Gale Della Rocco won bronze medals in the 1,500 meter, the 400 meter, and the 200 meter races.

In past years, she said, she trained for the games by running in hayfields. Because there wasn’t any snow this year, Della Rocco said, she trained for the games by running on pavement. She is studying art education, spending much of her time in the studio.
Her goal for next year is to improve her times. "To get a personal best time," she said, "is very rewarding."

She got involved in snowshoeing after her mother, Margaret, read in the newspaper that try-outs were being held at the Berne soccer field. Gale said she was shocked that she qualified.
Gale said she "forced" her brother, Taylor, to compete this year. She added that competing by herself, knowing none of the other competitors, is lonely. Last year, she said, she raced with her other brother, Tommy.
"She told me to do it, but I’d already made up my mind I was going to race," said Taylor Della Rocco.
"I got involved in snowshoeing because my brother [Tommy] did it last year, and my sister did it the year before that, and I thought, ‘What the heck, I’ll do it,’’" he said.

Taylor ran cross-country for BKW in the fall, and will be running track beginning in March.
He called the winter games "a great experience." This weekend, he said, he "met a bunch of friends."
After competing in the games, Taylor said he will "most likely" compete in the future. He said he has no preference for either long or short races.
"I like them all," he said. "It’s a really good thing," he said of the winter games. "I think more kids should do it."