Nine skiers and snowboarders with an intellectual disability from all corners of New Zealand have arrived in Italy to chase medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
The Kiwi contingent will join over 1500 athletes and 1000 support staff from over 100 countries in Turin for the largest inclusive winter sports event on the planet.
“The World Winter Games are about much more than just medals, and in some cases can be a life-changing event for these athletes,” explains Special Olympics New Zealand chief executive Fran Scholey.
The World Winter Games are the four-yearly pinnacle event in Special Olympics, but it has been a long wait for the alpine athletes after the scheduled 2021 event in Kazan, in Russia, were disrupted by the Covid pandemic and the war in the Ukraine.
“Our athletes have been training for many years and competing at the New Zealand Winter Games, but it is wonderful for these nine athletes to now reach the highest level of competition,” says Scholey.
Mitchell Harnett-Newlands was selected in 2021 and was disappointed to miss out on the previous World Winter Games, so he can’t wait to hit the slopes in Italy.
“It’s scary and exciting at the same time, doing something very different like flying to another country to compete,” says the alpine skier from Auckland.
Tim Clayton from Hawkes Bay says the games in Turin are the pinnacle of his sporting career after 22 years of training on the slopes.
“It means the absolute world to me. Skiing is my passion and I’ve been doing it since I was 4 or 5. I love the speed,” says Clayton.
The full team, including six support staff, gathered in Auckland on March 2 to receive their personalised beanies, the final part of their uniforms, before flying out to Italy the following day.
The Kiwis have four days to acclimatise to their new surroundings before the Opening Ceremony in Turin on Saturday, March 8.
The skiers will compete on the famous slopes of Sestriere, while the snowboarders are in action at Bardonecchia, where they will have two training days to get used to the Italian snow before competition starts on March 11.
After five days of intense competition, they will enjoy the much-anticipated Closing Ceremony party on March 15.
The seven skiers and two snowboarders represent almost all parts of the country from the North Shore to the deep South and they qualified at the most recent National Winter Games in Cardrona in 2023.
Rebecca Heath from Wellington is proud to be the first member of her family to be representing New Zealand and is training hard to make her family proud.
“I’m also watching what I eat as I’ve lost a lot of weight, which helps me do my sport,” says the trained teacher aide at Wellington High School.
“I am looking forward to seeing another country and see other athletes from other countries and make a lot more friends.”
Scholey explains that winning local races is only one criteria for athletes to be selected, along with their medical challenges, the ability to work well in a team environment and the capacity to travel independently without their whānau for an extended period.
“Aside from the amazing experience of competing at such an event, the trip itself can be a huge challenge for some athletes, so the learnings from this event will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” says Scholey.
“Many of the families tell us that the athletes come back with much more confidence after competing at a World Games. And hopefully with some medals.”