The countdown has begun for the Special Olympics Turin 2025 Winter World Games. National, regional and municipal authorities, the private sector and Special Olympics athletes have all shared the same message: “The future is here”. From 8 to 15 March 2025, Turin, Italy, will host the Winter Games, demonstrating the incredible power of sport to end marginalization and promote inclusion and solidarity. Themes at the center of the press conference on 12 December 2024 at the Royal Museums of Turin, in which representatives of the public and private sectors underlined the importance of the Special Olympics 2025 Winter World Games as a tool to counteract prejudices towards people with intellectual disabilities. A presentation attended by Alessandra Locatelli, Minister for Disabilities, representing the Government, Andrea AbodiMinister of Sport and Youth, Daniela SantanchèMinister of Tourism, and local authorities Marina ChiarelliCouncilor for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Piedmont Region, Stefano Lo RussoMayor of the City of Turin, Chiara RossettiMayor of Bardonecchia, Giovanni Cesare PoncetMayor of Sestriere e Massimo MarchisioMayor of Pragelato.
With them, the President of the Local Organizing Committee of the World Winter Games Turin 2025 Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and representatives of Special Olympics, the Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics Mary Davisthe President of Special Olympics Italy Angelo Moratti and athletes Lorenzo Mancino, Michal Dolinsky e Andrea Tomasoni. And then the representatives of the private company, Fabio Spagnuolo of Intesa Sanpaolo and Cristina Camilli of Coca-Cola Italia and Albania.
The 2025 Special Olympics Winter World Games will welcome 1,500 athletes from 102 countries competing in eight disciplines: alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, dance sport, figure skating, floorball, snowboarding, snowshoeing and short track. Furthermore, more than 1,000 coaches and delegates, 2,000 volunteers, 1,000 accredited media and around 100,000 spectators will be involved. The city of Turin will host the floorball, figure skating and short track competitions. Sestriere will be the venue for the alpine skiing and snowshoe competitions. Bardonecchia will host the sports dance and snowboard competitions, while Pragelato will host cross-country skiing. Turin will also be home to the Opening Ceremony (8 March) and Closing Ceremony (15 March) of the Games, along with additional events such as the Global Youth Leadership Summit, the Healthy Athletes Program, the Motor Activities Training Program and the Young Athletes Program .
Hosting the World Winter Games represents an incredible team effort, made possible by the Italian Government, the Piedmont Region, Municipalities and companies who together intend to promote the inclusion and legacy that the Games will bring to Turin, Italy and around the world.
Too often the lack of understanding about intellectual disabilities generates fear, exclusion and missed opportunities. The Winter World Games will highlight the determination and courage of Special Olympics athletes, showing the world a different perspective on intellectual disability, promoting deeper understanding and breaking down barriers and stereotypes.
And while the most significant aspect of the Games’ legacy will be the ccultural changewith a society more aware of the value of diversity, equally important will be the material legacy that the Games will leave to the territories: improved infrastructure, more usable public transport, sports facilities and tourist facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. All in compliance with environmental sustainability, thanks to strict compliance with the Sport Sustainability Framework, a project co-financed by the European Commission. The social, cultural, economic and sporting impact will continue to influence the city of Turin, the Piedmont Region and the localities involved, Italy and the whole world, helping to build a future in which inclusion is an integral part of daily life. A future that belongs to everyone. But a future that is already here, in Turin: “The future is here”.