Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE), in partnership with the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), is set to provide a comprehensive photo service for all regional delegations from SOEE, Special Olympics Africa, and Special Olympics Latin America at the World Winter Games Turin 2025.
This initiative will support approximately 60 delegations, ensuring every athlete's journey is documented by a dedicated team of five experienced photographers and editors: Adam Nurkiewicz, Cándido Castañón, Claire Behan, Iñaki Esnaola and Pablo Dondero, who bring years of expertise in sports and event photography.
All photos will be made available royalty-free to all Special Olympics entities, media outlets, partners and relevant stakeholders for further promotion of the event.
They will include high-quality images of athletes participating across all eight contested sports: alpine skiing, cross country skiing, DanceSport, figure skating, floorball, short track speed skating, snowboarding, and snowshoeing.
Photographers will also document non-sport events, such as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Healthy Athletes, the Global Youth Leadership Summit, Young Athletes activities, and the Motor Activity Training Program (MATP), among others. This service aims to highlight the holistic nature of the Games, celebrating not just athletic achievements but also the inclusive spirit of Special Olympics.
“As the saying goes: ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Photographs have the unique power to capture the essence of our Special Olympics athletes, and the energy of their spirit to bring out the best version of ourselves.”
“Thanks to the generous support of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, we are able to offer every participating delegation in Africa, Europe Eurasia and Latin America at the World Winter Games Turin 2025 a treasure trove of memories, and examples, of the transformative power of our ‘Mission: Inclusion’ partnership .”
“At Lions Clubs International Foundation, we believe in the power of storytelling to promote service.Through this partnership, we are helping to ensure that the extraordinary efforts and achievements of Special Olympics athletes- as well as our Lions and Leo volunteers- are documented and celebrated.These stories and the examples they represent to us deserve to be shared with the global community- and our partnership with Special Olympics is uniquely designed to do just that.”
“These images will tell stories of perseverance, friendship, and triumph, spreading the message of inclusion far beyond the Games themselves.”
The Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 will take place from 8 – 15 March, with 1,500 athletes from over 100 countries showcasing their talents across eight sports.
TEAM OF PHOTOGRAPHERS
CLAIRE BEHAN
Irish sports, environmental, and documentary photographer with nearly two decades of professional experience. Claire has covered numerous Special Olympics events, including the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, Malta Invitational Games 2022, and the Regional West Balkans Tournament in Albania in 2023, among many others.
"It's always such an honour to be invited to photograph for Special Olympics, especially at the larger international games. The athletes' dedication and positive mindset are incredibly inspiring and infectious. As a photographer, my goal is to represent these athletes in the best possible way, and I feel privileged to play a small part in telling their stories."
“I’m a Canon user and will have a mixture of the new EOS R camera body range with a section of varifocal lenses to ensure we capture the best sport/social event images.”
PABLO DONDERO
Argentinian sports photographer based in Barcelona with over 15 years of experience covering international events such as the Olympics Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games and Special Olympics Spain National Games, among many others.
“It is a privilege to be part of the team of talented photographers who will cover such a significant sporting event as the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. This event not only gives me a deep sense of excitement, but also inspires me to do my best to capture images that reflect the spirit of achievement, inclusion and emotion that defines this competition.”
“I work with Sony Mirrorless equipment, accompanied by a wide range of lenses ranging from fisheye and wide-angle lenses to long telephoto lenses. I use both fixed and zoom lenses, which gives me a great versatility to always select the best combination depending on what I am photographing. Thanks to my background in photojournalism and documentary photography, my focus is on capturing images that combine authenticity, narrative and emotion.”
IÑAKI ESNAOLA
Argentinian sports photographer based in Berlin with extensive experience photographing major competitions such as the UEFA Euro 2024, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, World Aquatics events and Skiing World Cups.
“These Games are a powerful platform for inclusion, breaking down prejudices, and celebrating the resilience of athletes of all abilities through sport. It’s a huge opportunity, and responsibility for me, this means a unique chance to deliver a high-impact message to the world. My goal is to create striking, story-driven images that capture the spirit of the Games. From the passion, and determination of the athletes, to the energy of the crowd. I aim to document moments that inspire and connect audiences worldwide.”
“Using my Canon EOS R5 for its speed and precision, I am excited to push creative boundaries, and deliver visuals that highlight the emotion and triumph of this extraordinary event.”
CÁNDIDO CASTAÑÓN
Spanish photographer whose career spans three decades, transitioning from food, facility, product, and advertising photography for retail, real estate, hospitality, industrial, and food industries to a successful career in sports photography.
“For me, covering the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 represents a dream come true, the opportunity to participate in a world-class event, to capture the unique and iconic images that sport offers with its plasticity and energy, and the emotion that radiates from the athletes' desire to excel, their effort, and the admiration of the public. And all of this for the noblest of causes.”
“My working tools will be my CANON EOS 5DSr and CANON EOS 1D Miv cameras, with lenses CANON EF 16-35 mm, CANON EF 24-105 mm, CANON EF 100-400, and FLASH CANON EX 580.”
ADAM NURKIEWICZ
Polish photographer who grew up in the UAE with extensive experience covering major global sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, and Special Olympics World Games. Recognized in 2021 as Photojournalist of the Year by the Polish Photojournalist Association.
"After 23 years of being part of this wonderful Special Olympics Family, it still thrills me to attend a World Winter Games! From the moment I saw the 100m line of fans at The Royal Dublin Society to watch the Motor Activities Training Program (MATP) in 2003, when I felt the charisma and spirit of the Special Olympics athletes, I knew it was a love for my whole life!!!
"Nagano, where my love for Japan was born, adventures in Shanghai, Los Angeles, PyeongChang, and even Abu Dhabi, the city where I grew up! I also still get goosebumps when I remember Berlin and that vibe! I feel inspired every time. Taking photos is just an addition on the side for me."
"For Turin 2025, I'll bring DSLR Nikon D6 - 3 pieces; Nikon WT-6 transmitters - 3 pieces; Nikkor 400 mm / 2.8; Nikkor 70-200 mm / 2.8; Nikkor 24-70 mm / 2.8; Nikkor 14-24 mm / 2.8; Nikkor 16 mm / 2.8; Nikkor TC 14 III; Monopod Gitzo carbon GM4562; Lexar card readers: XQD, CF Express, SD; Lexar cards: 256GB, 128GB, 64GB; Lexar hard drives - SSD 1TB and SSD 4TB; GoPro Camera Hero 11; iPhone 15 Pro Max."
