Africa

With the lighting of the ‘Flame of Hope’ at Turin’s Inalpi Arena on Saturday night, the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games were officially declared open, marking the start of the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event of the year.

14 March was a busy day at Inalpi Arena in Turin as the Floorball competition of the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 continued.

If you were to see Shane François Bentley today—gliding on the ice, defending on the soccer field, or diving into a swimming pool—you’d never guess the mountain of challenges he’s had to overcome.

While pursuing his medical degree at the University of Nairobi, Dr. Gome was an avid basketball player, dedicating his Saturdays to the sport he loved.

Their shared love of soccer has brought them not only friendship but also a powerful mission: to unite children with and without intellectual disabilities through sports—and to fight bullying in their community.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 is brimming with intense competition, inspiring stories, and heartfelt emotions. Dive into the spirit of these Games with our daily photo updates, capturing the essence of this extraordinary event.

The atmosphere was electric as 26 delegations, supported by grants from The Christmas Fund, arrived in Italy, their excitement palpable.

The following is an excerpt from a podcast episode titled “Casamance: the community committed to the health of children with disabilities.”

At 9am on a sunny Saturday morning in June, Special Olympics (SO) Kenya coaches and athletes begin gathering at the Nairobi University sports grounds in the heart of the capital city. They’ve come to train in basketball, bocce and floorball. At least five coaches and 30 athletes have already arrived after taking public transportation, often more than one kind. More are still trekking the distance to the facilities from as far 400km/250mi away. Learn about what drives these athletes and coaches to traverse such distances to see their teammates. More background can be read in this article.

Through creativity, partnership, and improvised equipment, Namibia’s floorball team has found a curious path to not only play the sport, but to excel and reach the world stage in Turin for the 2025 World Winter Games.