On Wednesday, a team of Special Olympics Illinois snowshoe athletes boarded a plane to New York, with a final destination of Turin, Italy. There, they will compete in the Special Olympics Winter World Games.

Daniel Johnson, Brandon Waller, Mallory Marvin and coach Jim Bluemond will compete against 1,500 Special Olympic athletes from around the world with crowds of family and supporters cheering them on.

“How they performed at the team trials and training camp last year … the fastest I’ve ever seen them run, they all earned a spot on the team,” Bluemond said. “In Italy, we will be up in elevation about 2,000 meters high, so that’s a concern as well, so we’ve been working out hard during the prep time here.”

The athletes will compete in the 25-, 50-, 400- and 800-meter races Monday through Thursday of next week.

So, how does a snowshoe team prep when there has not been much snow?

local affiliate WGN’s Erin McElroy found out as she spoke to the team and coach ahead of their trip. Watch her interview in the player above.