FIVE teams, including Victoria, will be competing in the Special Olympics Australia National Winter Games to be held on Mt Buller this month for the opportunity to represent their country on the international stage next year.
The competition runs from July 15 to July 18, and it has 37 athletes with intellectual disability/autism from Victoria, the ACT, NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia.
The games event represents the culmination of years of rigorous training and dedication by these wintersport athletes to gain selection to represent Australia at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy from March 8 – 17, 2025.
Hosting the Special Olympics at Mt Buller is being welcomed back by the resort as part of its approach to promoting an inclusive and diverse approach to snowsports on the mountain.
Every four years, the Special Olympics National Winter Games alternate between Perisher in NSW and Mt Buller.
A passionate advocate for the Special Olympics is the Resort Services Manager at Mt Buller, Paula McCall, who also wears the hat of working with Disabled Winter Sports Australia (DWA).
“The National Winter Games allows athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete for a chance to represent Australia on the world stage,” said Ms McCall.
“It is a very exciting opportunity for these elite athletes to race and expand their presence on the mountain and help change attitudes."
The first Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in 1977 in Steamboat, USA, and they will be held in Turin, Italy, next year.
“At DWA our mission is to promote and foster the advancement of participation of people with disability in winter sports in Australia, with safety and dignity and give equal opportunity for people with disability to participate at all levels in the winter sport of their choice,” Ms McCall said.
“My role at Mt Buller is to bring together our volunteer guides with DWA members who wish to experience the joy of being on the snow.
“My role also involves promoting DWA on the mountain.
“In recent years DWA at Mt Buller has been well supported by both Buller Ski Lifts and ARV and we thank them both for that."
The following 16 Victorian athletes will be competing, and all of them spend considerable time at Mt Buller, particularly with their ongoing commitment to Vic Interschools: India Biesse Fitton, Laura Flynn, Evangeline Patterson, Mikaela Williams, Alexander Cherny, Charlie Jones, Ben Pearce, Andrew Negrelli, Prairie Maughan, Sara Molloy, Amanda Kozic, Samantha Li, Addison Waddsworth (lives in Mansfield), Sophie Nichols, Owen Roberts, and Olivia Sayers.
Queensland team member Millie Warbrick also has links to Mt Buller.
Ms McCall will join the selected team members in Italy and seven other support staff.
The final team for Turin will consist of six male skiers, six female skiers and two snowboarders.
They will all be competing in Giant Slalom.
Spectators are most welcome to watch the action, which includes the opening and closing ceremonies.
The opening ceremony is on Monday, July 15, at 1pm in the Village Square.
It will be a special event supported by the Law Enforcement Torch Run, including a torch run and the lighting of the cauldron.
A worldwide foundation of Law Enforcement employees, The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is the largest grassroots awareness and fundraising vehicle for Special Olympics.
They help to provide opportunities for inclusion and improved quality of life for children and adults with intellectual disabilities by supporting Special Olympics programs and championing fundraising initiatives.
Race Day is Wednesday, July 17, at 10.30am on Skyline.
The games will conclude with medal presentations and a closing ceremony at 2:30p.m. on Wednesday in the Village Square.
Ms McCall said DWA always welcomes more volunteer guides, and if anyone is interested, please check out our link https://www.disabledwintersport.com.au/dwa-volunteer-membership-and-benefits.
For more details on the torch run, visit https://vic.torchrun.org.au