For many of us this weekend, our focus will be on one single event: The Super Bowl, in Indianapolis. For a hard core group from Schroon and North Hudson, their attention will be focused on the Empire Games in Lake Placid and the fortunes of local Justin Wachowski.

This weekend the Schroon Lake Senior will compete in several events at the Empire State Games as he continues his quest to make the US Olympic Team and the chance to compete in future Winter Olympics.

We first met Justin and his mom Sally and dad Dan over the summer. The family was fund raising to help pay for Justin’s training on the Luge Junior Development Team.

“He is very dedicated and nothing will stop him as he tries to make the Olympic Team,” Sally told us. “We are so proud of everything he is putting into this,” said Dan.

Sally proudly showed us photos and a video of Justin training on a road "slider" luge. Over the summer Justin spent hundreds of hours on conditioning and strength and weight training, to ensure he would be at the top of his game for this weekend and beyond.

For the passed few months Justin has been living at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. He continues his studies at Schroon Lake Central online.

We will be rooting for Justin this weekend and hope you will be too. And if you’d like to make a donation to help cover Justine’s training and competition travel expenses – which he now pays for – visit his Facebook page