News & Stories

Let’s set the scene. It’s Christmas Eve and you’re living your life, perhaps getting ready to celebrate the holiday. Suddenly, you get a call from your local Special Olympics program that there has been a last-minute drop on the Special Olympics USA (SO USA) Unified floorball team heading to Torino, Italy in a few months, all leading to a big question: would you like to be a part of the team?

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

With Special Olympics, everything is possible. Skiing on snow in Coral Springs, Florida, is not one of those things. Despite the complete absence of snow, the stifling heat, Special Olympics USA athlete Kellie Matthew became a skier. And in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, she became a gold-medal skier. Watching her fly down the run, one would never know – Kellie had never competed on snow.

Ask any accomplished athlete how they got their start, and the answer is usually a version of “in the backyard” or “in the driveway.” Across the country, kids of all ages play out Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the final inning of the World Series, or the final play of the SuperBowl, fantasizing about the day they can make those dreams a reality. The Bub brothers were no exception as they grew up in Shrub Oak, New York, turning driveway dreams into a trip to the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.

A first love can be life-altering. Suddenly every waking thought revolves around it, heart beating faster. The all-consuming nature of a first love may be too much for some people. But for others, it becomes a part of their soul, their identity.

For Cori Piels, inclusive health isn’t just about ensuring she sees a doctor. It’s about feeling heard, understood.

Chris Furches has a need for speed.

Late last year, Special Olympics USA put out a call for our athlete delegates to submit artwork for an official Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 team sticker. We received a number of creative submissions and eventually narrowed it down to a Top-3, which were then voted upon online.

“The ice is a great equalizer on any given day. It can be anyone’s first place or anyone’s last place, but it’s how much you put out there and how you feel about yourself that matters at the end of the day. And I just want Beth to feel good about her performance.”