From January 13 to 18, more than 500 athletes competed in the National Winter Games of Special Olympics, marking a significant milestone in 2019: the 30th edition. Following the remarkable experience in March 2018, the municipalities of Bardonecchia and Valsusa eagerly stepped forward to host the Games again. The picturesque region is no stranger to major sporting events. In February 2006, it hosted snowboard competitions during the XX Winter Olympic Games and served as home to one of three Olympic villages.
Athletes competed across diverse winter sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoe racing, and snowboarding. Intellectual disability gives way to ability when Special Olympics athletes take to the slopes, living out their Oath: "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
The National Winter Games offer athletes the chance to compete for the first time. Snowshoe racing, in particular, brings joy to those who run it—a contagious joy that spreads to everyone fortunate enough to watch the races.
Special Olympics athletes inspire others in their communities and beyond to open their hearts to a broader world of human talent and potential. The entire region participates through extensive outreach with local institutions, primary and secondary schools, sports clubs and associations, and the general public.
"I love taking part in the Special Olympics Games. I love being with people, having fun. I feel strong. The races went well. I competed in the 5 km and ran a good pace—I won the gold medal. I did it. I had energy even going uphill."
Nicola Capraro, 26, an athlete from the Veneto team "I Can Breganze" and gold medalist in cross-country skiing, embodies the athletic and personal journey of every Special Olympics athlete. Not simply because of the gold medal he won, but because of the commitment and determination he brought to the race and to his life—and the joy of reaching the finish line.
That energy expended "going uphill" is emblematic of everyone living with intellectual disability and their families. From birth, they face countless obstacles in a society still bound by stereotypes and prejudices that sound like final verdicts with no way out.
Not in Bardonecchia. Not this year, and not again in Valsusa, which has now welcomed the National Winter Games for the second consecutive year. The region's response has been extraordinary. Local officials, residents, and especially students lined the slopes to cheer the athletes and ask for autographs—just as they would for figures who change lives and whom one is fortunate to meet in person. A scene that offers hope for a better future, where inclusion and openness triumph over doubt.
At the Closing Ceremony on Friday, January 18, the Special Olympics Italia flag was folded and handed over by Bardonecchia's Mayor, Francesco Avato, to Vice President Alessandro Palazzotti with "the hope of continuing to work together, of preserving in Valsusa the 'lightness' and the powerful lesson taught by Special Olympics athletes—and perhaps returning soon to color the city red again."
Source: Special Olympics