COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Sports are never a more valuable healing device or a more comforting distraction than in a community recovering from weeks embedded in tragedy. In the wake of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history, most Colorado Springs residents welcome the return of the runs, bike races and endless outdoor activities that help define the city’s sports culture.
“It brings back a sense of normalcy that for us here in the Springs, what’s normal in the summer is every weekend there are runs, there are rides, there are so many activities,” said Pat McDonough, the director of the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, which will run as scheduled.
Energizing the city’s sports scene starting Thursday was the U.S. Open Ultimate Championships, a flying disc competition drawing teams from as far as Colombia. The first major sporting event in the city since the fire began June 23, Ultimate athletes played the delicate role of reintroducing sports to the still-recovering Springs.
