Sport

Special Olympics Italia: sports and inclusion

Having begun in the United States in the 1960s, Special Olympics is now active worldwide in as many as 200 countries, and its name (Olympics) and programme have also been officially ratified by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

Special Olympics Italia, of which Intesa Sanpaolo is the Main Partner for the next three years, aims to give children and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to train and compete in a variety of Olympic sports.

Turin 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games

The 2025 edition of the Special Olympics World Winter Games, to be held from 8 to 15 March 2025 in Turin and other locations in the Piedmont Region, will not only celebrate sporting excellence, but will also promote cooperation between nations, with the aim of building a more inclusive and supportive society. The 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games will welcome 1,500 athletes from 102 countries who will compete in eight disciplines: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, dancesport, figure skating, floorball, snowboarding, snowshoeing and short track speed skating. The city of Turin will host the opening and closing ceremonies, floorball competitions, figure skating and short track speed skating. Sestriere will be the venue for the alpine skiing and snowshoeing competitions. Bardonecchia will host dancesport and snowboarding, while Pragelato will be the venue for the cross-country skiing.

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group, as a proud supporter of inclusion and excellence in sport, is excited to support this event, which bears witness to the importance of sport as a tool for social integration.

Special Olympics National Winter Games: previous editions

The 2023 and 2024 editions of the Special Olympics National Winter Games were wonderful occasions of great sporting and inclusive value.
The 2023 edition, held in Bardonecchia, saw hundreds of athletes engaged in five days of competition. The event opened with a symbolic relay that, starting from the Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper in Turin, brought the Olympic flame to the Games venue, conveying the values of inclusion and community.
In 2024, the event moved between Sestriere, Pragelato, Entracque and Borgo San Dalmazzo, involving almost 600 athletes, with and without intellectual disabilities, in a variety of disciplines. The international scope of this edition was even broader, with the participation of delegations from Austria, Germany, Latvia and Hungary.

Both editions showcased the power of sport as a tool for social integration, with the unceasing support of Intesa Sanpaolo in fostering inclusion and excellence.

The Time Bank

The symbolic, as well as sporting, value of the Special Olympics, including in terms of enhancing the feelings of hospitality and integration and breaking down any barriers of relational indifference, has allowed Intesa Sanpaolo to offer some colleagues the privilege of a truly unique volunteering experience.

By freely exchanging and donating their time through the Time Bank initiative, colleagues have had the opportunity to support athletes competing in football, golf and badminton, thus playing an active and proactive role in a different and deeper way of focusing on the present and reimagining the future.

Last updated 28 March 2025