01-03-2025
Gold medalist to compete at Special Olympics World Winter Games
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A man from Normal is one of 1,500 athletes looking to win gold across the pond.
Daniel Johnson, 23, will compete in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 4×100-meter snowshoeing events at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, according to the Bloomington Parks and Recreations department.
Johnson works for the department but also competes with the city's Special Opportunities Available in Recreation or SOAR program, which is a 'community therapeutic recreation program' that helps people from the age of four and up whose needs are not met by 'traditional recreational programs.'
The international event in Turin, Italy, will have 1,500 athletes from 103 countries, and will take take place March 6-16.
Winning gold is not something Johnson hasn't experienced. In 2023, he garnered the top spot at Illinois' Special Olympics Winter Games which allowed him to be nominated for the international event.
He filled out his application and was accepted to be on the team last spring. Since then, he's been training for the games, even going to Salt Lake City with his teammates to train at the Team Trials, the department said.
'We are all super excited for Daniel. He has worked incredibly hard for this moment. All of us at SOAR can't wait to watch the broadcast and cheer him on from home,' stated Holly Polley, SOAR program manager.
Here in Bloomington, SOAR offers 12 Special Olympic sports. Johnson has competed in snowshoeing through the program since 2019.
More information on SOAR can be found on the city of Bloomington Parks and Recreation's website.
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