As the ‘Flame of Hope’ was passed from Italy to Chile on Saturday night, the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 were officially declared closed—but the impact of these Games will endure long beyond that moment.
From 8 to 15 March, the city of Turin welcomed athletes from around the world, providing them with an opportunity to shine. For eight days, Special Olympics athletes persevered through every challenge, embraced every emotion, and showed bravery in every attempt. From near and far, the world cheered them on, bearing witness to the life-changing impact of sport and inclusion.
Coinciding with Women’s History Month, these Games sent a powerful message to the world: everyone has a place in sport. With a more than 40% increase in female participation compared to the Austria 2017 World Winter Games, Turin stands as a joyous example of what the world can be when everyone is given the opportunity to succeed.
Emanuelle (Manu) Dutra Fernandes de Souza, a Board Member and former Sargent Shriver Global Messenger, echoed this sentiment in an interview, expressing profound gratitude for every female athlete representing their country and community on the world stage.
Speaking directly to them, she said: “Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for being here, representing all girls around the world.”
A Legacy of Female Leadership
More than 50 years after Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a female athlete who recognized the unifying power of sport, founded Special Olympics, the movement is now led by another strong female leader, Mary Davis, a former coach and athlete herself.
“As we talk about women in sport,” Fiona Murray, Senior Director of Coach Education and Sport Development, said, “we should recognize the unique history that women have played in creating and growing this movement.”
“Women have been at the heart of our movement from the start,” she added.
Girls and Women in Sport
Special Olympics has been steadily moving toward achieving a 50:50 gender balance among participating athletes in World Games. In 2017, the world came together in Graz and Schladming, Austria, for the last World Winter Games, where 32% of athletes and partners were female. In Turin, that number rose to 45.61%.
At these Games, we saw all-female coaching teams, parents who spoke with passion about what the Games meant for their daughters, and female athletes who supported and celebrated each other.
“We know from research that girls want and need role models to show them that being an athlete is a possibility for them,” Fiona said, acknowledging that, for girls with IDD, such role models are often few and far between.
These Games marked a significant step forward, demonstrating to all girls and women that they have a place in sport.
“The visibility of the athletes, particularly the female athletes and their stories,” Fiona said, “means that girls with IDD need not look too far to see an inspiring woman on the field of play.”
For women like Manu, this representation means everything: “We can play. We can be athletes,” she said. “We just want the opportunity.”
