Six South African athletes will represent the country at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The international multi-sport event that takes place every four years is the world’s largest for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Team SA was given an official send-off in Johannesburg today.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the last time the Winter Games took place was in Austria in 2017.

Figure skating Coach Glenda Slabbert is happy to return to the games.

“We did very well then and then because COVID hit, we couldn’t go to Sweden. They cancelled and then we were supposed to go Russia and then the war broke out and we haven’t done it for eight years now, because that was four years and another four years and now, we are finally going again,” Slabbert.

This will be the 12th edition of the Special Olympics World Winter Games.

South Africa exceeded expectations and returned with 16 gold, four unified gold, two silver and five bronze medals from the 2017 Austria Games.

Slabbert says they will be expecting a gold rush in Italy.

“We are going to come back that will be our standard in Italy. It will be gold or nothing. I don’t know where we will sleep, but we hope we sleep in an ice rink, so that we train everyday. So, we are hoping to do well there,” says Slabbert.

The athletes, who train at an ice rink in Northgate, will represent South Africa in figure and speed skating.

Track speed skating athlete, Shirnel Swarts, is looking forward to the games.

“I am free, I am happy I am excited to go overseas and represent my country because it’s your opportunity, it’s your life, it’s your goal and you must go for it. Don’t look back,” says Swarts. 

The athletes have been training for at least six months now.

Figure skater, Naledi Hlalele, says she has some adjustments to make after switching from speed skating.

“Well, the basics, starting from scratch everything because I was first doing speed skating. So, coming into figure skating, where you start dancing and all that, it’s way different and I felt that I had to improve that because I wasn’t basically used to doing that, “ Hlalele.

VIDEO | 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games, send-off for Team SA: