The world’s attention will turn next week to Turin, Italy, the site of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Athletes from around the globe will put their skills and determination on display for an estimated 2 billion spectators watching on television.

The Opening Ceremonies are Feb. 10; competition begins the next day.

Needless to say, the competition will receive plenty of attention from sports-crazed fans, feeding on a daily diet of medal counts, national pride, athleticism and personal stories of triumph.

It’s all very worthwhile and entertaining.

But we don’t have to tune into the action in Turin to see great stories of accomplishment and perseverance.

On Monday and Tuesday, 500 athletes participated in the 36th Special Olympics Maine Winter Games at Sugarloaf Ski Area. The events included Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, dual skiing, figure skating, speed skating and snowshoeing. The idea behind the Special Olympics is that athletes with cognitive disabilities or mental retardation gain physically, mentally and socially by training with and competing against their contemporaries. They aren’t saints or martyrs, and they’re not the ultra-noble caricatures common in movie scripts and TV dramas. They’re a diverse group with different skills and abilities, different attitudes and aptitudes, and unique personalities. Like other serious athletes, they work hard and compete hard.

There are no winners and losers; everyone is awarded a medal for participating. That shouldn’t detract one bit from the events and pride visible on the faces of the athletes and their families. They go hard and want to win. The athlete’s oath for the Special Olympics sums it up: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

It’s a motto that holds up whether you’re a Special Olympian, a superstar in Italy, an armchair quarterback reading the paper or a desk jockey commenting on the others.