Special Olympics Great Britain, the UK's largest provider of sports training and competition for people with an intellectual disability, has named its lead management and coaching team for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.
Taking place across Italy and France from 8 to 15 March 2025, Team Special Olympics Great Britain will be led by Head of Delegation Laura Davies, who is Special Olympics GB's Head of Projects & Events. The team includes Special Olympics Grampian's Adrienne Purdie as Assistant Head of Delegation and Bob Thow as Alpine Skiing Head Coach, with Paul Crocker of Special Olympics Southern appointed as Figure Skating Head Coach.
Laura has been part of Special Olympics GB National Office for more than 10 years and has worked in lead management roles for delegations at the last two Special Olympics World Games and National Games. Her role as Head of Delegation will be to lead all aspects of team preparation and attendance, supported by Adrienne, including strategic oversight, logistics, safeguarding, team training, fundraising, corporate partnerships, and media operations for Team Special Olympics GB around the games.
Adrienne has been a key figure in the Special Olympics GB movement for several years, having first got involved when the Special Olympics Grampian skiing club started 15 years ago. She is now part of the team leading the clubs offering of four different sports. After watching her son Luke ski in the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Adrienne was appointed Assistant Head of Delegation for the subsequent Games in 2017 and she was Games Organising Committee Event Lead at the recent Special Olympics GB National Winter Games in Folgaria, Italy.
Bob has been a qualified ski instructor for more than 40 years and a Special Olympics Grampian coach since 2009, taking on the Head Coach role at the club in 2018. Here he has supported multiple athletes on their journeys to National and Special Olympics World Winter Games. Bob was also Alpine Skiing Race Director at the Folgaria 2024 Special Olympics GB National Winter Games, and the previous National Ski Competition in Crans Montana (Switzerland) in 2020, where he oversaw competition at novice, intermediate and advanced levels.
Based at Planet Ice in Gosport, Paul has ice skated since the age of five and has been coaching for more than 15 years. He was Team Special Olympics GB’s Head Coach for Figure Skating at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz and Schladming, Austria, and has worked with multiple athletes through the Inclusive Skating movement, which is a partner of Special Olympics GB.
“It’s a great honour to lead our national delegation for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy and France,” said Laura Davies. “Our team worked together on the delivery of our first National Winter Games, in January, and has already started working closely on selection, travel and the training requirements that will give our athletes the best possible experience in Italy.
“Adrienne, Bob and Paul have given so much to the Special Olympics GB family, as volunteers, for many years and we’re delighted to have them leading our team for such an eagerly awaited event.”
Team Special Olympics GB has been allocated eight athlete places in the alpine skiing competition, which will take place in Sestriere in Italy’s western Alps. Two figure skating athletes will also represent Team Special Olympics GB for competition based in Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. Athletes will be announced by Team Special Olympics GB in the coming days.
Across the nine-day event, the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 will see 1,500 athletes, with intellectual disabilities, from 103 countries compete in eight winter sports.
Laura, Adrienne, Bob and Paul are vastly experienced members of the Special Olympics GB family and they have also worked with athletes on multiple domestic and international events within the movement.
“There are significant logistical challenges for any team leading a delegation of athletes with intellectual disabilities overseas, so we’re thrilled to assemble such a strong management team. We’re very grateful to them for supporting our athletes.”