Special Olympics Great Britain, the largest UK provider of year-round sports training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities, is delighted to announce its first 58 athletes who will compete at next year’s Special Olympics World Games.

The 16th Special Olympics World Games, which are due to take place in Berlin in Germany for the first-time next summer (17 – 25 June), will be the world’s largest inclusive sporting event in 2023 with more than 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities competing across 26 sports over nine days.

The first 58* competing athletes will represent Team Special Olympics GB in athletics, basketball, bocce, cycling, equestrian, unified football, golf, artistic & rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis and tennis. Additionally, the athletes will be supported by 28 coaches and a further 22 support and medical staff.

Our team of Special Olympics GB athletes, are:

Athlete

Sport

Club

Joshua Longbottom

Athletics

SO Powys

Rosa Huntington

Athletics

SO Essex

Rosie Porter

Athletics

SO St Albans

John Hayes

Athletics

SO West Wales

Ella Crawley

Basketball (Female Only)

SO Greater Manchester

Sophie Widdowson

Basketball (Female Only)

SO Derbyshire

Fatima Omarji

Basketball (Female Only)

SO Leicestershire and Rutland

Julie Freestone

Basketball (Female Only)

SO Leicestershire and Rutland

Grace Colverd

Basketball (Female Only)

SO Camden

Llinos Gilmore Jones

Bocce

SO West Wales

Michael Beynon

Bocce

SO North East Wales

Ben Fai Lankshear

Cycling

SO Surrey

James Huntington

Cycling

SO Greater Manchester

Milena Oktas

Cycling

SO Greater Manchester

Sophie Bonner

Cycling

SO Surrey

Dominic Hsu

Cycling

SO Surrey

Ella Curtis

Cycling

Bradford Disability Sport & Leisure

Niall Guite

Cycling

SO Sheffield

Chris Bradley

Equestrian

SO St Albans

Amelia Boult

Equestrian

South West Equestrian

Lauren White

Equestrian

South West Equestrian

Phillip Palmer

Equestrian

SO St Albans

Charlie Hood

Football (Unified Only)

SO Essex

Bradley Stuart

Football (Unified Only)

SO Essex

Daniel Braithwaite

Football (Unified Only)

SO Essex

Harry Camm

Football (Unified Only)

SO Essex

Jack Venturini

Football (Unified Only)

SO Essex

Sam Goldney

Football (Unified Only)

SO St Albans

Jake Hulley

Golf

SO St Albans

Yasmin Booth

Golf

SO Greater Manchester

Rhiannon Evans

Golf

SO West Midlands Golf

Alexander Thompson

Golf

SO Sheffield

James Bailey

Golf

SO Sheffield

Emma Thomson

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO City of Glasgow Gymnastics

Craig McGarrity

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO Scotland

Chloe Russell

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO Jersey

Grace Beales

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO Suffolk

Simon Booth

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO Suffolk

Jack Jacobs

Gymnastics (Artistic)

SO Suffolk

Felicity Martin

Gymnastics (Rhythmic)

SO Cheshire East

Daisy Chetwood

Gymnastics (Rhythmic)

SO Cheshire East

Poppy Wood-Wright

Gymnastics (Rhythmic)

SO Cheshire East

Ellie-Bea Thomas

Gymnastics (Rhythmic)

SO Leicestershire and Rutland

Jessica Poyser

Swimming

SO Cheshire North and West

Taylor Mackenzie

Swimming

SO Scotland and Monifieth Swim Club

Adam Loubani

Swimming

SO City of Hull

Charlotte Foster

Swimming

Blackpool Polar Bears

Nicholas Balls

Swimming

SO Teasdale

Will Browning

Swimming

SO North Yorkshire

Alexander Rae

Table Tennis

SO Grampian

Fredrika Karlsson

Table Tennis

SO North Devon

Jessica Bromley

Table Tennis

SO Cheshire North and West

Ben Cliffe

Table Tennis

SO Cheshire North and West

Adam Brownsword

Tennis

SO Camden

Lily Mills

Tennis

SO Camden

Emily Clarke

Tennis

SO City of York

Matthew Brough

Tennis

SO City of York & York Disability Tennis Network

 

Colin Dyer, CEO of Special Olympics GB, said: “Huge congratulations to all of our athletes who have been selected to represent Team SOGB at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin 2023.

“To represent Team SOGB as an athlete with intellectual disabilities deserves the highest praise and recognition. Given the incredibly challenging circumstances that we have encountered in recent years, winning a place in the Special Olympics World Games squad is not only an incredibly proud moment for our athletes, but for their loved ones and our fantastic team of volunteers who make Special Olympics GB happen. 

“We’re also very grateful for the backing of our partners on this journey to Berlin 2023 and are delighted that Jingle Jam, the world’s biggest charity gaming event, has chosen Special Olympics GB as one of its recognised charities this year. 

“Not only will this help raise awareness of the work we do to transform the lives of people living with intellectual disabilities through the power of sport, but it will vitally, help us to use the awareness generated by the Special Olympics World Games to reach out to more and more people with intellectual disabilities and help them get involved with the life-changing impact of Special Olympics.”

The Special Olympics World Games are the largest inclusive sports events in the world and Berlin 2023, which follows on from Abu Dhabi 2019, is aiming is to help achieve greater recognition and social participation of people with intellectual disabilities.

Stephen Walker, head of delegation for the Special Olympics World Summer Games, said: “Huge congratulations to all the athletes who will be representing Team SOGB at next year’s Games. 

“For our athletes making up Team SOGB, representing your country is a massive honour and we are very much looking forward to working with them all over the next few months to ensure they are ready to have the best possible time at the Games.  The Special Olympics World Games 2023 will be a celebration of inclusion, and we cannot wait to see our athletes in action doing their country proud.”

Special Olympics GB was recently named by Jingle Jam as one of its 12 nominated charities for its gaming festival that takes place from 1 to 14 December. Since launching in 2011 by Yogscast, the event has raised more than $25 million, and all proceeds raised for Special Olympics GB  in Jingle Jam 2022 will be used to help fund the athletes and coaching team attending the World Summer Games in Berlin.

To show support for Special Olympics GB and help its fundraising drive for the 2023 World Summer Games, please visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/SOGBWorldGames2023

*Further Team SOGB members and the coaching teams will be announced in the coming weeks.