Keene Central School students participate in the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games torch relay in Keene Valley on Wednesday morning, Jan. 11. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

KEENE VALLEY — The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games torch arrived early in the town of Keene on a bright sunny but cold Wednesday, Jan. 11.

Led by a Keene Valley fire truck, the it was carried into the hamlet by a series of Keene Central School students of varying ages that are active participants in winter sports. Second to last was the youngest athlete, Mitchell “Mitch” Burns, age 6, who passed it on to Olympian, Keene native and former Keene Central student Tommy Biesemeyer.

Burns is a three-event winter athlete — a member of the Lake Placid Skating Club, a Nordic skier and an Alpine skier who “likes to go fast.”

“Mitch is very excited to run the torch, and I’m very excited to cheer him and the other athletes and see Adirondack Mac,” said his mom, Erica Burns. “When you have weather like this for as long as we do, you have to learn how to have fun in it. Once you learn how to bundle up, there is much you can do.”

“I’m not sure what happened in 1980, but this may be the first torch passing to have taken place in Keene Valley,” said Biesemeyer, who started skiing at age 2. “No matter, it’s very exciting for the community and for it to gain a sense of the local Olympic athletic spirit. If this event can inspire one kid or plant the dream, it’s a success.”

Keene Central School students pose with Adirondack Mac — the mascot of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games — during the torch relay celebration in Keene Valley on Wednesday morning, Jan. 11. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

After receiving the LED torch from Mitch, Biesemeyer ran it the length of the school driveway to a platform where state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury), town Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson, and emcee Stuart Hemsley of Lake Placid, surrounded by students and faculty, family members and friends who welcomed him.

“It was so inspiring to look out in the sunshine and see all the fine Keene athlete torch bearers come running this morning,” said Wilson. “Having them led by local Olympian Tommy Biesemeyer is inspiring and wonderful. It’s great being a part of the University Games. Most of us weren’t born yet the last time this happened.”

Student athlete and cross-country ski racer Pia Morrelli and vice president of the KCS Green Team Maya Silverstein addressed the crowd. The two juniors spoke primarily about the impact of climate change on winter, outcomes evident this year as successive rain storms have hit the region, all results of the atmospheric rivers pounding California every week.

“I love cross-country skiing,” said Morrelli. “During the Nordic season, I remember thinking that the ski season was much longer than the other sports seasons. Sadly, I think I can count the times I have been skiing on my fingers this year, and it’s January. There isn’t enough snow. It’s crazy to me the impact climate change has had on our winters can not only be seen within my lifetime but that the rising temperatures and lack of snow can be noticed in just a few years. I love Nordic skiing and the snow, but without the snow, there can’t be any Nordic skiing.”

Silverstein focused on the dramatic impact that the fossil fuel industry is having on the climate, dwarfing the effects of all other causes and making the impact one person can have by reducing their carbon footprint seem insignificant. She stressed that individual actions matter collectively, they have an impact, and are essential, but it is crucial for everyone to lobby their elected representatives.

Mitchell “Mitch” Burns poses with Adirondack Mac — the mascot of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games — during the torch relay celebration in Keene Valley on Wednesday morning, Jan. 11. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“It sounds hopeless, I know,” said Silverstein. “You might be thinking, what can we do about this? The most important thing you can do right now is send letters to legislators and protest against corporations that create so much greenhouse gas. Ask our local officials to vote on bills to protect our environment and will fight against climate change. You must remember that our representatives work for us. Organize boycotts against companies that are not green-friendly. If you think you are too young to become a climate activist, I assure you that you are wrong. There is no appropriate age to begin investing in our planet’s future.”

Following them was Stec, who encouraged people to get out and experience the remarkable abilities of the diversity of athletes and wide range of events taking place from the Gore Mountain ski center in North Creek to the college ice hockey arenas in Canton and Potsdam, with many happening in Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Wilmington. Competitions began Jan. 11 and will finish on Jan. 22. Stec also praised the two students for looking ahead as he encouraged people to help welcome the many newcomers to our region.

“I think it’s fantastic to be part of the torch run and show the importance of our students as they move forward in life,” said KCS Superintendent Dan Mayberry.

“Pia and Maya were talking not only about athletics but also their love of this place; without snow, we can’t do the things we love to do,” said KCS Principal Bob Woughter. “The kids get it. The best part is to connect all of our students with the importance of winter to all of us in the North Country and that they can make a difference. We’re empowering them that they can make that change.”

Torch celebrations were then held at Paul Smith’s College and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake later in the day, with stops on Thursday in Wilmington, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid before it “lit” the LED cauldron at Brewster Park on Main Street during the opening ceremony that evening.

Keene Central School juniors Pia Morrelli, left, and Maya Silverstein, spoke about climate change during the torch relay celebration in Keene Valley on Wednesday morning, Jan. 11. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

For more information about the Games, visit online at lakeplacid2023.com.

From left, Olympic Alpine skier and Keene Central School alumnus Tommy Biesemeyer, state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury) and Keene town Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson pose during the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games torch relay celebration in Keene Valley on Wednesday morning, Jan. 11. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)