Special Olympics Great Britain, the United Kingdom’s biggest provider of sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities, has announced 73 athletes who will represent their region at its first National Winter Games.

Delivered with generous sponsorship support from Dreams, Gallagher and Sure, Special Olympics GB will stage alpine skiing and figure skating competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities from 27 January to 3 February and will be taking place in Folgaria, in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtiro.

Amongst the delegations are athletes from six Special Olympics GB accredited winter sports clubs, including the Aberdeen-based host club and organiser Special Olympics Grampian, Rossendale Special Ski Club, Special Olympics West Mids Ski Group, Special Olympics Surrey, Special Olympics South East Ski Group (Essex), Special Olympics West Wales and Inclusive Skating. Individual athletes are also entering the competition from the East of England and the South West.

Name

Sport

SO Region/Club

Mackenzie Baker

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

James Barclay

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Jason Chu

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

David Corr

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Cameron de Vial

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Matt Evans

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Jack Holgate

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Will Shepherd

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Emily Wild

Alpine Skiing

SO North West - Rossendale Special Ski Club

Annabelle Lamb

Alpine Skiing

SO Eastern - Individual Skier

Lauren Cain

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Laith Houhou

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Kathryn Mearns

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Emily Plant

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Luke Purdie

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Emma Ronald

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Steph Salvesen

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Hamish Thomas Jamieson

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Kristen  Wrate

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Aryamehr Zarisfi

Alpine Skiing

SO Scotland - SO Grampian

Mikey Lines

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Bartholome Meredith-Hardy

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Stef Nakoneczny

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Karen Oosthuizen

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Elanor Sinden

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Alice Willans

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - SO Surrey

Jane Andrews

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

William Cottrell

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Anthony Coulon

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Jamie Daniels

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Corinna Dios-Beckett

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Ayesha Franks

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Lorina Gladin

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Charlie Marshall

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Andrew Martineau

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Gus Santos

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Harry Sussman

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Owain Taylor

Alpine Skiing

SO South East - South East Ski Club

Jack Hale

Alpine Skiing

SO South West - Individual Skier

Josh Davies

Alpine Skiing

SO Wales - SO West Wales

Llinos Gilmore-Jones

Alpine Skiing

SO Wales - SO West Wales

John Hayes

Alpine Skiing

SO Wales - SO West Wales

Steffan Hopping

Alpine Skiing

SO Wales - SO West Wales

Lizzie Williams

Alpine Skiing

SO Wales - SO West Wales

Josh Alexander

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Chris Bailey

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

John Bolger

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Katie Day

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Joanne Desmond

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Joseph Eccles

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Craig Hannah

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Nicola Harrison

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Anthony Hibbard

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Dion Honer

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Sam Hunt

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Rich Johnson

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Clare Lines

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Marcus Mason-Williams

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Matt Newton

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Fleur O'Donohue

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Dan Parker

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Sophy Soryal

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Sam Whitworth

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Beth Wragg

Alpine Skiing

SO West Midlands - West Midlands Sky Group

Callum Mills

Figure Skating

SO East Midlands - Inclusive Skating

Meg Mcfarlane

Figure Skating

SO East Midlands - Inclusive Skating

Steph  Gott 

Figure Skating

SO North West - Inclusive Skating

Nikki Sibeon 

Figure Skating

SO North West - Inclusive Skating

Megan Cassidy

Figure Skating

SO Scotland - Inclusive Skating

Jennifer Gibson

Figure Skating

SO Scotland - Inclusive Skating

Jonathan Clutterbuck

Figure Skating

SO Southern - Inclusive Skating

Ollie Snook 

Figure Skating

SO Southern - Inclusive Skating

Jenny Lee

Figure Skating

SO Yorkshire & Humberside - Inclusive Skating

 

Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “We’re delighted to expand our programme of competitions by staging this first National Winter Games.

“Competing in national and international events has proven to be transformational for many of our athletes, inspiring them to develop new life skills and make changes, which support their independence and career.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Special Olympics Grampian club for investing so much time in planning this event, as the host club, and to Inclusive Skating for being our delivery partner on all figure skating events. Special thanks also go to our partners as their funding ensures that our athletes receive a world class sporting experience during this event.”

Special Olympics GB is being supported in its delivery of the National Winter Games by The Ski Company and Alpe Cimbra.

The competition will support the selection process for the subsequent Special Olympics World Winter Games, which take place in Torino, Italy, from 8 to 16 March 2025. Here, eight alpine skiers and two figure skaters will represent Team Special Olympics GB for the first time in a Special Olympics World Winter Games since 2017.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, Special Olympics GB provides regular sporting opportunities for more than 6,600 athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Its 95 accredited clubs offer training and competition in 27 different sports, which are delivered by a devoted team of 3,800 volunteers.