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Associated Press
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 – Largest Sports and Humanitarian Event of the Year – Draw to a Close
• Eight sport disciplines • 100 delegations • 1,500 athletes and Unified partners TURIN, Italy, March 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, the largest sports and humanitarian event of the year, drew to a close yesterday after a celebration of sport and inclusion. The 1,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners without intellectual disabilities – aged 15 to 66 years old – competed in eight sport disciplines from 8 to 15 March: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, DanceSport, Figure Skating, Floorball, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snowshoeing. Additionally, the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) offered athletes with profound disabilities the opportunity to showcase their sports skills through an adapted ski demonstration in Bardonecchia and a dedicated event in Turin. In addition to the competition, a number of activities took place on the sidelines, conveying the breadth and scope of the global Special Olympics movement. These included: Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® made possible by the Golisano Foundation, which offered health screenings for all athletes at the Games, a convening of the Global Coalition for Inclusion, the Global Youth Leadership Summit, and a Young Athletes demonstration, where children of all abilities aged 2-7 years learn gross motor skills through inclusive play. Athletes from 100 nations were supported by 2,000 volunteers, and over 500 credentialed media covered the Games, further spreading the message of inclusion. Among the guests who attended the Games were: Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni; President and First Lady of Poland, Andrzej Duda and Agata Kornhauser-Duda; Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance; and European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef. Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 has been a proud moment for the entire movement, especially Europe, which is hosting its sixth World Games. Special Olympics Sargeant Shriver Global Messenger, Gilmour Borg, said, 'It is through making our voices heard that we will shape a more inclusive future. It is through our unity that we grow stronger and face every challenge, hand in hand, together.' David Evangelista, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia President and Managing Director, said, 'The determination, energy and skill shown by the athletes of Special Olympics here at the Games are a culmination of years of training, dedication and perseverance. They are a powerful and timely reminder to the world of the power of inclusion. Here in Turin, the athletes of Special Olympics are quite simply inclusion in motion.' ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS EUROPE EURASIA Special Olympics in Europe Eurasia encompasses a diverse range of cultures, languages, and customs, traversing 58 countries in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. From Iceland to Italy and Portugal to Uzbekistan, Special Olympics promotes respect, inclusion, and human dignity for people with intellectual disabilities through sports. ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES TURIN 2025 Every two years, Special Olympics holds its flagship event, the World Games, demonstrating sports excellence, which promotes equality, respect, and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. Transcending the boundaries of geography, nationality, political philosophy, gender, age, culture, and religion, the world will come together to celebrate inclusion around the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Sestriere, Bardonecchia, and Pragelato, Italy, from 8 March – 15 March 2025. Nearly 1,500 athletes and unified partners, more than 1,000 coaches representing 100 countries, 2000 volunteers, and thousands more spectators will participate in and watch eight exciting winter sports and community events. This is the first time Italy has hosted the World Winter Games. Sports featured are Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Dancesport, Figure Skating, Floorball, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snowshoeing. For more information on the 2025 Special Olympics World Games, visit and on social on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Media contact:
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 – Largest Sports and Humanitarian Event of the Year – Draw to a Close
Short Track Speed Skating Action at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 Clemence Samaille Claims Silver in Alpine Skiing Special Olympics Athletes Share Celebratory Embrace Snowshoeing Competition in Full Swing at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 • Eight sport disciplines • 100 delegations • 1,500 athletes and Unified partners TURIN, Italy, March 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, the largest sports and humanitarian event of the year, drew to a close yesterday after a celebration of sport and inclusion. The 1,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners without intellectual disabilities – aged 15 to 66 years old – competed in eight sport disciplines from 8 to 15 March: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, DanceSport, Figure Skating, Floorball, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snowshoeing. Additionally, the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) offered athletes with profound disabilities the opportunity to showcase their sports skills through an adapted ski demonstration in Bardonecchia and a dedicated event in Turin. In addition to the competition, a number of activities took place on the sidelines, conveying the breadth and scope of the global Special Olympics movement. These included: Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® made possible by the Golisano Foundation, which offered health screenings for all athletes at the Games, a convening of the Global Coalition for Inclusion, the Global Youth Leadership Summit, and a Young Athletes demonstration, where children of all abilities aged 2-7 years learn gross motor skills through inclusive play. Athletes from 100 nations were supported by 2,000 volunteers, and over 500 credentialed media covered the Games, further spreading the message of inclusion. Among the guests who attended the Games were: Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni; President and First Lady of Poland, Andrzej Duda and Agata Kornhauser-Duda; Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance; and European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef. Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 has been a proud moment for the entire movement, especially Europe, which is hosting its sixth World Games. Special Olympics Sargeant Shriver Global Messenger, Gilmour Borg, said, 'It is through making our voices heard that we will shape a more inclusive future. It is through our unity that we grow stronger and face every challenge, hand in hand, together.' David Evangelista, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia President and Managing Director, said, 'The determination, energy and skill shown by the athletes of Special Olympics here at the Games are a culmination of years of training, dedication and perseverance. They are a powerful and timely reminder to the world of the power of inclusion. Here in Turin, the athletes of Special Olympics are quite simply inclusion in motion.' ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS EUROPE EURASIASpecial Olympics in Europe Eurasia encompasses a diverse range of cultures, languages, and customs, traversing 58 countries in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. From Iceland to Italy and Portugal to Uzbekistan, Special Olympics promotes respect, inclusion, and human dignity for people with intellectual disabilities through sports. ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES TURIN 2025Every two years, Special Olympics holds its flagship event, the World Games, demonstrating sports excellence, which promotes equality, respect, and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. Transcending the boundaries of geography, nationality, political philosophy, gender, age, culture, and religion, the world will come together to celebrate inclusion around the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Sestriere, Bardonecchia, and Pragelato, Italy, from 8 March – 15 March 2025. Nearly 1,500 athletes and unified partners, more than 1,000 coaches representing 100 countries, 2000 volunteers, and thousands more spectators will participate in and watch eight exciting winter sports and community events. This is the first time Italy has hosted the World Winter Games. Sports featured are Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Dancesport, Figure Skating, Floorball, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snowshoeing. For more information on the 2025 Special Olympics World Games, visit and on social on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Media contact: Aoife O'GradySpecial Olympics Europe Eurasiaaogrady@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Festival of Inclusion returns to Nazareth University
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Nazareth University will hold the fourth annual Festival of Inclusion which consisted of a day full of fun interactive activities for people of all abilities to take part in for free at the Golisano Training Center. Best Buddies, the Golisano Foundation, and Special Olympics New York organized the festival. More than 70 organizations that serve the Intellectual Development Disability community will also be taking part in the festival which will go on from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Registration is not required. The festival welcomes people of all ages and abilities to explore inclusive resources and services while enjoying games and activities. The Festival of Inclusion kicks off the annual Spread the Word Inclusion campaign, which promotes respect, accessibility, and meaningful connections within communities. Those who attend can explore a large range of activities, including sports and fitness opportunities designed for all abilities, adaptive equipment demonstrations, live demos, and a sensory-friendly room to ensure a comfortable experience for everyone. Visitors can meet and interact with mini horses and other therapeutic animals, enjoy a variety of food trucks, and capture memories at the on-site photo booth. Since 2020, the festival has brought people together from across Western New York, connecting them with dozens of organizations from New York and Florida. Complimentary valet and parking assistance will be provided by Lakeview Valet, and free parking is available in Lots P and Q, adjacent to the Golisano Training Center. 'The Golisano Foundation recognizes that the world is a better place when everyone is engaged and a part of it,' Executive Director Erica Dayton said. 'Holding events like the Festival of Inclusion provides a fun, safe, and informative environment for people with and without disabilities to interact with each other through engaging activities while learning more about what our community has to offer to everyone. We look forward to welcoming the community to this inclusive setting to enjoy a few hours of fun and activities while learning more about the programs and services available in our community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
