Anne Burns takes aim with her air pistol during trials for the Empire State Games at the Dutchess County Pistol Association in Wappingers Falls.

On August 16, 1978, 4,500 men and women began a solemn parade through the Archibald Stadium at Syracuse University for the first official Empire State Games. Among the men and women competing in the groundbreaking event was Brenda Goodknight, then 12. Today, the 41-year-old mother of four will again compete in gymnastics, as the Games makes its first appearance in the Hudson Valley on July 27, when more than 5,500 participants will descend upon the area to engage in the Olympic-style competition.

"I became aware of the fact that the Empire State Games had been hosted in all corners of New York state except the Hudson Valley," said Dutchess County legislator Jim Hammond, who spearheaded a campaign to bring the games to the area beginning in September, 2001. State officials told Hammond the fundraising requirements of the host community were $350,000. Over the next 12 months, Hammond and others raised $440,000 dollars, almost exclusively through donations from community businesses. The communities of Rochester, Long Island, and Plattsburgh also made bids to host the games, but in April of 2003 Governor Pataki announced the Hudson Valley would be awarded the opportunity. Hammond says that businesses will receive that money back and more; expected revenue from the 30,000 guests and 5,000 volunteers to the games could reach $8-10 million. Hammond said it has been "very satisfying" to be a part of bringing the Empire State Games to the Hudson Valley. "It is the single largest event in the US of it's kind, and the largest event the Hudson Valley has ever had."

An opening ceremony will be held at Marist College in Poughkeepsie on July 27 at 7:30pm, complete with a parade of competitors and official torchlighting ceremony. The Games are a multi-sport event, with 28 different sporting competitions, and over 30,000 athletes from across the state trying out annually. Competition is fierce, and the games showcase some of New York State's best amateur athletes. The games mimic the Olympics, although one key difference is the opportunity it gives to mature athletes. The Master's Division of the Games consists of 12 sports for men and women. Master athletes compete in age brackets broken up into five-year increments in sports including track and field, cycling, diving, fencing, golf, gymnastics, marathon canoe, rugby, swimming, and volleyball. High school athletes can compete in either the Open Division, which qualifies them solely by competition results, or by the Scholastic Division, which requires a 90-percent grade average to qualify.

The open and scholastic division diving trials for the Empire State Games were held at Vassar College on June 12.

Unlike last summer's Olympics in Greece, which many considered a debacle due to rushed construction and poor planing, the region is "absolutely more ready" said regional game director Frank Intervallo, laughing. Intervallo, a Yonkers police captain, began his work with the games as a volunteer in 1984. While he admits to a "sore spot" for watching baseball (which you can check out at Dutchess Community College), he attends as many events as possible. Summer baseball is easy to find in the region, but many of the sports hosted by the Empire Games are not. SUNY New Paltz, Marist, Vassar, and Mt. St Mary colleges will host 16 of the 37 events, bringing local residents the unique opportunity to watch sports ranging from archery to synchronized swimming. As the event truly encompasses the entire Hudson Valley, residents may be forced to chose their favorite sports to attend, as the far-flung locations make traveling to multiple locations difficult in one day. Still, there is something to please everyone. Want to see some judo? Mt. Saint Mary College hosts. Fencing lovers can get their fix at New Paltz High School, while Beacon and Arlington High Schools share the duty of hosting track and field events. Some quintessential Hudson Valley locations include the Hudson River, which will be the competition site. Golfers will be playing at James Baird State Park, another unique Hudson Valley location, named for the famed local resident and contractor for the Lincoln Memorial.

While the mission statement of the games is dedicated to the recognition of the amateur athlete, what makes the Empire State Games unique is the high caliber of these so-called amateurs. Many are former professional athletes, while some will go on to Olympic glory. Since its beginning in '78, 40 other states have modeled programs after the Empire State Games. However, the Empire State Games is the original, largest, and most say, the best of the state-level amateur competitions.

Terry Borshoff, 58, began competing in the cycling portion of the Empire State games in the early '90s. At the time he was also a triathlete, competing in the Ironman in Hawaii and other events around the country. After two cycling gold medal wins in '93 and '94 he took time off because of work and family commitments. "I put cycling in my back pocket," said Borshoff with a smile, "other things were more important." Nowadays, arthritis in his hips makes running difficult, so the former triathlete focuses solely on biking. Borshoff is an advocate for exercise-therapy as a way to combat arthritis. "The more active you are through exercise, the less pain and stiffness you experience." This mantra certainly seems to work for Borshoff, who won a gold medal in the time-trial division of Master's cycling last year in Binghamton, ending his nine-year hiatus from competition.

Low and high springboard diving will be featured in the Empire State Games.

The Empire State Games are a family affair for Brenda Goodknight and her daughter Dana. A junior at Guilderland School in Altamont, Dana has been competing in the games since 2001. Last year Dana took home the gold medal in the Scholastic Women's balance beam finals. The win came at a critical point in Dana's life. "I was going through a major growth spurt and couldn't keep up with my training," she said. "I was questioning whether I was meant to be a gymnast." The self-described "identity crisis" ended with a gold medal win in the Games.

Dana's rigorous training schedule was initially a challenge for the teen, who began practicing four hours a day, five days a week, when she was 11. "It was difficult at first, when I was in middle school," Altamont conceded, "but now I'm used to it." Nowadays she loves the sport more than ever and says, "When you have a good day and get a lot of adrenaline going performing you feel like you can do anything." The 16-year-old envisions competing in gymnastics in college, as her mother did during her four years on the SUNY Albany gymnastics team.

Brenda remembers competing at the first Empire State Games with fondness. "It was exciting," the mother of four said. "At the time, it was the biggest meet I had ever participated in." However, unlike most gymnasts, whose competitive career usually ends before the time they can buy their first legal drink, Brenda kept attending meets. Though she took a decade off from training while busy with her kids, last year the 41-year-old swept the Master's division of women's gymnastics receiving a gold medal in all four events; floor, vault, bars and beam. While her primary focus is taking care of Dana and her younger siblings, Max, 15, Kara 11, and Nick 10, she also squeezes in two workouts a week at World Class Gymnastics. Brenda says that she experiences little pain as she has aged, though she notes that stretching is more important than ever.

Kingston High School student, Kayla Tegeler, 15, will compete in her first Empire State Games this year. Tegeler, who qualified for both the 200 and 100 meter butterfly, says she is "very excited" and that she not only gets to "fulfill my goal of the season," but she gets to do so in her own backyard.

For full events listings and locations, visit www.empirestategames.com.