As we step into 2025, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the important road ahead. This year holds immense promise for the Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) region and the wider movement as we strengthen our impact and reaffirm our commitment to inclusive development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
At the heart of our calendar are the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, taking place from 8 – 15 March. Over 1,500 athletes from more than 100 countries will showcase their talents across eight sports while amplifying a definitive message of grit, courage, focus, and solidarity. Turin will host not only the World Winter Games for Special Olympics; they will stage a global celebration of inclusion and the power of the human spirit to transcend differences.
SOEE is proud to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of European Football Week, a testament to the enduring power of the world’s most popular sport to unite, inspire, empower. Since its inception, European Football Week has brought together players of all abilities, national football federations, football clubs, corporate sponsors, civil society groups and many more to challenge stereotypes and highlight the reach and scope of our grass roots programming, in close partnership with UEFA.
The latter part of the year will see a regional and global first: the celebration of the Special Olympics World Unified Volleyball Cup in Katowice, Poland, set to take place from 4 – 9 October 2025. Featuring 20 male and female teams from around the world, the event will work to both strengthen the movement’s sport development and augment the participation in one of the most popular Special Olympics sports in Europe and the world.
Advancing Education Through Sport
The year begins on a strong note as His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar becomes the latest European nation to ratify its commitment to the Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion. This milestone reinforces a collective pledge by European nations to foster inclusive education through sport from an early age, making inclusion a part of the academic journey of all students. By nurturing environments where students of all abilities learn and grow together, we are shaping a generation of inclusive leaders in schools, in communities, in nations around the world.
We are deeply grateful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for their unwavering support in advancing this critical initiative. In addition, we thank SNF for their deep commitment to supporting the regional and global expansion of our Unified Champion Schools work, as well as strengthening the ability of Special Olympics to issue strong Thought Leadership messaging to underscore the urgency of our mission and global focus.
In parallel, we continue empowering youth leaders—with and without intellectual disabilities—through our sustained focus on the expansion of Unified Champion Schools programming. Through the remarkable leadership of Program leaders, teachers, students, coaches and volunteers alike, thousands of schools around the region will transform themselves into hubs of acceptance, innovation, and collaboration. Sports remain the catalytic ingredient.
Strengthening Partnerships
SOEE wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to one of the movement’s largest and most global partners: Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). Through the strong support of the Foundation, and countless Lions and Leo volunteers, the Special Olympics—LCIF ‘Mission: Inclusion’ partnership continues to make strides. From vision care screenings to inclusive sports to refugee support to family education, to the Motor Activity Training Program (MATP), the region salutes the leadership and commitment of Lions Clubs International and the Foundation for their long-standing support.
Thank you also to our regional partners, including Toyota Motor Europe and UPS Foundation, whose support enables us to expand our reach and sustain vital programs. We remain most grateful for the opportunity to share in such close cooperation as we bring our shared Unified work to more and more communities across the region. The commitment made by so many corporate volunteers motivates our athletes, families, coaches, and movement to train harder, cheer louder.
In 2025, we look forward to deepening our engagement with the European Union under its new leadership and direction. As a trusted implementing partner, we will continue advancing excellence in sports, health and fitness, social protection, and international development in collaboration with the European Union and the European Commission. Our 2025 platform incudes robust collaboration with a range of key United Nations partners, including but not limited to UNICEF Europe, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Refugee agency, UNESCO and more—all designed to ensure the full achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on behalf of individuals with IDD.
We are eager to jumpstart new collaborations with a range of emerging partners who have committed to supporting the vision of our athletes, from the Botnar Foundation to Rexona, and others. Special Olympics is grateful for the strong consideration of existing and new partners alike to help bring our movement to life in playing fields, schools, clinics and communities throughout Europe Eurasia.
Expanding Health and Refugee Initiatives
We will continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our athletes by focusing on prevention programs, health assessments, and training healthcare professionals. We will keep empowering athletes, their families, and other stakeholders to lead community-wide initiatives that promote inclusive health and drive systemic change for people with intellectual disabilities.
Our Healthy Athletes® and Healthy Communities platforms remain a cornerstone of our mission. Since their launch, they have provided over 2 million free health screenings and trained nearly 300,000 health professionals and students to better serve people with intellectual disabilities around the world. In 2025, this platform will grow further, with Healthy Athletes® screenings planned at the World Winter Games in Turin and across the region, and Healthy Community initiatives in over 40 SOEE Programs throughout the year.
The region wishes to thank the European Commission’s DG Sante, the Golisano Foundation, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Safilo S.p.A., Lions Clubs International Foundation and a range of additional partners for supporting our shared commitment of inclusive health for all, everywhere.
Additionally, we are amplifying initiatives such as Unified with Refugees, supported by the UN Refugee Agency, Lions Clubs International Foundation, ESPN, On Shoes and many more. This program uses the transformative power of sport to unite communities, including two of the world’s most marginalized groups: refugees and people with intellectual disabilities.
Supporting Programme Growth
Also, this year will highlight once again the relentless dedication of the 58 Programs that make up Special Olympics Europe Eurasia. From small communities to large cities, Programs are the backbone of our movement, driving change, generating increased awareness and creating opportunities for athletes and their families. Their hard work and passion remain the most critical component to our global movement and its local application.
As we look ahead, we will continue to celebrate the achievements of our athletes, support their development, expand our initiatives, and strengthen our partnerships with governments, sports federations, the development community, philanthropic leaders and corporate partners. We will advocate for policies and practices that foster inclusion while deepening our commitment to health, education, and community-building through sport. Most of all, we will do all of this in close collaboration with one another.
To every athlete, volunteer, partner, clinical volunteer, teacher, and supporter: thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey.
Here’s to 2025—a year of unity, impact, and boundless possibilities.
This is Special Olympics.
