Press conference 12 Dec
Turin, Italy – December 12 – The countdown has begun for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. National, regional, and local authorities, the private sector, and Special Olympics athletes all shared the same message: “The future is here.” From March 8 to 15, 2025, Turin, Italy, will host the World Winter Games, showcasing the incredible power of sport to stop marginalization and promote inclusion and solidarity.
These themes were at the center of the press conference held on December 12, 2024, at the Royal Palace of Turin, where representatives from the public and private sectors emphasized the importance of the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 as a tool to face prejudice against people with intellectual disabilities. The presentation was attended by Alessandra Locatelli, Minister for Disabilities, Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth, Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism, and local authorities Marina Chiarelli, Councillor for Tourism, Culture, and Sport of the Piedmont Region, Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the City of Turin, Chiara Rossetti, Mayor of Bardonecchia, Giovanni Cesare Poncet, Mayor of Sestriere, and Massimo Marchisio, Mayor of Pragelato. There were also the President of the Local Organizing Committee for the World Winter Games Turin 2025, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, and Special Olympics representatives, including Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis, Special Olympics Italy President Angelo Moratti, and athletes Lorenzo Mancino, Michal Dolinsky, and Andrea Tomasoni. In addition, representatives from the private sector, Fabio Spagnuolo from Intesa Sanpaolo and Cristina Camilli from Coca-Cola Italy and Albania, partecipated too.
The Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 will welcome 1,500 athletes from 102 Countries, competing in eight disciplines: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, dancing, figure skating, floorball, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and short track. In addition, over 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 events. Sestriere will be the venue for alpine skiing and snowshoeing competitions. Bardonecchia will host the dance and snowboarding events, while Pragelato will be the site for cross-country skiing. Turin will also be the location for the Opening Ceremony (March 8) and the Closing Ceremony (March 15) 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, local municipalities, and companies that together aim to promote inclusion and the legacy the Games will bring to Turin, Italy, and to the world.
Too often, a lack of knowledge about intellectual disabilities generates fear, exclusion, and missed opportunities. The World Winter Games will highlight the determination and courage of Special Olympics athletes, showing the world a different perspective on intellectual disabilities, fostering deeper understanding, and breaking down barriers and stereotypes.
The World Winter Games represent an important recognition for Special Olympics Italy, which for over 40 years has been at the forefront of changing mindsets about the power of sport to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Providing equal opportunities for all leads to a brighter future for everyone.
While the most significant aspect of the Games’ legacy will be the cultural change, with a society more aware of the value of diversity, the material legacy left in the regions will be just as important: improved infrastructure, more accessible public transportation, sports facilities, and tourist structures that are more accessible to people with disabilities. All of this will be done with respect for environmental sustainability, thanks to the strict adherence to the Sport Sustainability Framework, a project co-financed by the European Commission.
The social, cultural, economic, and sports impact will continue to influence the city of Turin, the Piedmont Region, the involved locations, Italy, and the entire world, contributing to build a future in which inclusion is a main part of everyday life. A future that belongs to all. But a future that is already here, in Turin: “The future is here.”
Lorenzo Mancino, Special Olympics Athlete:
“I am a university student, I have been an athlete for several years, and I am also a person with a disability. ‘Also’ is the right word because disability is not the only characteristic of a person. It is not a sentence or a condemnation but rather one side of a diamond that shines with a thousand colors, talents, and desires that make us who we are. This is the aspect of our personalities that we want to showcase.
Special Olympics, and even more so the World Winter Games, serve this purpose: to clear the fog surrounding disability by using sports as a tool and a channel for a more open and welcoming world, while simultaneously raising awareness about the uniqueness of people with disabilities.
The slogan of the World Winter Games Turin 2025 is “The Future is Here” because it gives us a glimpse of a future of inclusion. In 2025, we have the responsibility to do something meaningful to create a culture around disability and touch the hearts and minds of people. Disability is part of humanity and the beauty of the imperfections that characterize each of us.”
Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the City of Turin:
“With the Special Olympics World Games, our city is preparing to host an important international sporting event, as well as a community that serves as an inspiration for promoting a culture of inclusion and respect. The Olympic spirit, in these games, is shown in one of its purest forms: an invitation to overcome the barriers that divide us and to recognize the value of every individual. It will be a pleasure to welcome athletes and delegations from all over the world in a year that promises to be extraordinary for sports in our region, which will also host the Torino 2025- FISU World University Games.”
Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Local Organizing Committee Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025:
“Hosting an event that breaks down barriers and prejudices while showcasing the talents of athletes with intellectual disabilities in a spirit of sharing is a unique opportunity for Turin, Piedmont, and Italy. The Games will be accompanied by events involving cultural institutions, museums, and theaters. It will be an opportunity to highlight the city’s contribution, which has been committed since the 1970s to the empowerment of people with intellectual disabilities through art.
Turin thus renews its spirit of hospitality, already demonstrated during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. The mascot has also been unveiled: an otter wearing a hat in the shape of the Mole, born from the drawings of students from La Spezia, Rome, and Lecce who participated in the 2024 ScuolArteSpeciale competition.”
Mary Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics:
“Hosting the World Winter Games is a tremendous team effort, and we are grateful to the Local Organizing Committee Turin 2025 and the Special Olympics Italy teams who are working tirelessly to ensure the best possible experience for our athletes. We also thank the Italian federal government, the Piedmont region, local municipalities, and all our corporate sponsors who value inclusion and the long-term impact these Winter Games will create not only in Turin and Italy but around the world.”
Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism:
“We are proud to host this important international event, an initiative in which the government has invested with strong conviction. This event represents a unique opportunity to celebrate sport as a tool for participation and growth. At the same time, it allows us to showcase to the world the spirit of hospitality and inclusion that defines Italy. It is an occasion to demonstrate, through the stories of courage and passion of athletes from around the globe, that every barrier can be overcome thanks to their contagious joy of life and the team spirit that unites us all.”
Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, and Marina Chiarelli, Regional Councillor for Sport, Tourism, and Culture:
“With the Special Olympics World Winter Games coming to our mountains in March, Piedmont is ready to become the global stage for inclusion. These will be days of sport, emotions, and remarkable life stories that will remind us how determination and courage can overcome any obstacle. This event is an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate that sport is a universal language, capable of bringing people and cultures together while showcasing the beauty of our region and the hospitality we are known for.
The Games will be a moment to move us, make us reflect, and inspire us, because Special Olympics is not just about medals but about values that enrich us all. Piedmont is proud to play its part.”
Andrea Tomasoni, Special Olympics Athlete:
“I am here to represent the 1,500 Special Olympics athletes from around the world who will come to our country for the upcoming Torino 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games. I am very proud to wear the italian jersey at such an important event. For me, or rather for us, it is a fantastic opportunity to show the whole world our abilities, not our difficulties.
I am proud to be Italian, and I am here filled with emotion and joy, knowing that athletes like me from all over the world will come to our country to challenge themselves with their strengths. We athletes are the true protagonists, not because we are athletes with disabilities, but because we are simply athletes.”
Angelo Moratti, President of Special Olympics Italy:
“We are confident that thanks to the World Winter Games, the near future will be a time when diversity will no longer be a limitation but, rather, an enrichment for all communities. A future that values everyone and speaks not only of integration and inclusion. The World Games will show a global audience how fair participation in a sporting event can represent a metaphor for life: participating with all one’s strength, always giving one’s best.
This approach can erase all forms of discrimination and pave the way to the self-determination that is at the heart of every Special Olympics athlete’s journey. This legacy will be passed on not only through the athletes’ experiences but also through the communities involved and the cultural change the Games promote.”
Chiara Rossetti, Mayor of Bardonecchia:
“The Bardonecchia Administration and its citizens are honored to host the competitions of the Special Olympics athletes for the World Games scheduled for March 8-15. Our town has a long tradition of ties with these athletes, and every time it is a moment of great joy, sharing, and sport. We are ready to welcome the athletes and the entire Special Olympics community, confident that, once again, we will all experience a wonderful event together.”
Giovanni Cesare Poncet, Mayor of Sestriere:
“Sestriere is ready to enthusiastically welcome the athletes of the Special Olympics Winter Games 2025, according to our motto, ‘Sestriere, a mountain of sports for everyone.’ Sport is about sacrifice, dedication, commitment, and, above all, fun and lightheartedness that fill the heart.”
Massimo Marchisio, Mayor of Pragelato:
“Pragelato is ready to host competitions in some of the disciplines of the Special Olympics. It will be a celebration for our territory, once again breathing the Olympic spirit through another great international event, as it did in 2006.”
Cristina Camilli, Director of Institutional Relations, Communication, and Sustainability for Coca-Cola Italy and Albania:
“Coca-Cola has been a founding partner and global sponsor of Special Olympics since 1968, and we are proud to continue our commitment alongside Special Olympics to support the upcoming World Winter Games Turin 2025 and the venues of Sestriere, Bardonecchia, and Pragelato.
We have always been dedicated to promoting a more inclusive society, including through corporate volunteer programs, where everyone can achieve great goals and celebrate the unique power of sport to drive positive change and break down barriers.”
Alberto Santilli, CEO of Toyota Motor Italy:
“Being a partner of Special Olympics means taking part to an extraordinary, inspiring journey filled with values. The athletes teach us the strength of will, the courage to overcome challenges, and the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. These values drive our commitment to creating inclusive and sustainable mobility technologies and services. I thank all Toyota employees who, with enthusiasm and active participation, embody the company’s values and our ongoing dedication.”
Fabio Spagnuolo, Senior Director of Communication and Advertising at Intesa Sanpaolo:
“We are proud to renew our support for Special Olympics Italy, particularly on the occasion of the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. This year, we are the Presenting Partner of the event, where 88 Italian athletes will have the opportunity to compete on an international stage, demonstrating how sport can be a powerful vehicle for inclusion and growth.
Over the years, this initiative has been highlighted on the Group’s website, which counts over one million visits, and on the Bank’s social media channels, where activities with Special Olympics have garnered over one and a half million views. At Intesa Sanpaolo, we believe that sport is a common good to be protected, shared, and celebrated.”
