Ever dreamed of your own Olympic Gold? If my Adirondack trek has inspired you, there's good news. "If world class athletes can do it, you can, too," says Sandy Caligiore, Director of Communications for the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid. And he means it. From Bobsleds to biathlons, you can get a taste of any sport the two-time Olympic site has to offer.

Think you have a steady hand? Try the Biathlon. If you know how to cross-country ski, they'll teach you the rest. You'll be assigned a real coach who'll show you how to shoot. No watered-down air guns, here. You'll use the same kind of rifles the athletes use. Even summer temperatures don't slow this program. The rifles remain, but you swap your skis for running shoes.

Ski jumpers can take the elevator up the 120-meter tower and get a sobering peek at what the jumpers see before flying off into air. Would-be Eddie the Eagles can learn this death-defying sport. All you need is intermediate skiing skills and some nerve. They'll teach you how to touch the sky on the 15m jump.

For those who have never skied, their ski school, "Parallel from the Start" has a high success rate with adults who think it's too late to learn how to carve powder. The snow-shy can take an eight-minute gondola ride up the mountain to watch the skiers and snowboarders, take in the view and reconsider the ski lessons.

The best news? Unlike most Olympic destinations, where venues can be five hours apart, all activities are within 10 miles from downtown Lake Placid. You'll log more miles on the slopes than the highway.

The hardest decision you'll have to make is where to start your personal Olympic journey.

Charmian Christie,
Outdoor Adventure Expert