Team SA's Special Olympics athletes get hero's welcome on return from World Winter Games
The six athletes that represented South Africa in Italy each brought home a medal – one gold, three silver and two bronze.
Team SA's skating team returned home from the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin on 17 March 2025. The team came back with one gold medal, three silver medals and two bronze medals. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Special Olympics South Africa (SOSA) athletes returned home from the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy on Monday with six medals.
The games saw more than 1,500 athletes from 100 delegations competing in eight sporting codes.
"We are overwhelmed, we are moved and we are proud to stand in front of you. You are an incredible team and with immense pride, we welcome you home, we stand before you to say welcome home 2025 Special Olympics South Africa national team," said Mathews Phosa at a ceremony welcoming the athletes at OR Tambo International Airport.
The six athletes that represented South Africa in Italy each brought home a medal – one gold, three silver and two bronze.
"For the first time ever, every single athlete who represented our nation at the Winter World Games has brought home a medal. This has never happened, not at any sporting festival, never," said Phosa.
The SOSA 2025 National Team was also supported by the National Lotteries Commission, Nike South Africa, Converse South Africa, Lahers Silkscreen, Tutone Communications, African Bank, and Gift of the Givers.
Eyewitness News spoke to gold medallist Naledi Hlalele about her achievement.
"It's a big achievement to be acknowledged. I tried to not put pressure on myself, I had to be calm. Usually, I would panic but I needed to be calm on the ice and having my team cheer for me helped."
The figure skater said she wasn’t expecting a gold medal as her competitors were good and she’s grateful for all the support she had from loved ones.
"The preparations were a lot, I had to do a lot of practice and my coach and parents were supportive. There were times I would be tired but I persevered. Thank you to my parents, they've been supporting me, my coach and the Special Olympics.
"I wasn't expecting to come back with a gold medal. They [the competitors] were really good, so I wasn't expecting to come with a gold but all the hard work paid off."
The Special Olympics is a global organisation that serves athletes with intellectual disabilities, working with hundreds of thousands of volunteers and coaches each year.
"It's a great achievement for them. I'm just the coach, I don't get on the ice or compete with them, they are the ones who are out there. They are the ones who have to hold it together, so well done to them," said coach Glenda Slabbert.
Representatives from the North West Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and Education also travelled in support of the team and as observers as the province will be hosting the 2026 Special Olympics South Africa National Games.
"They are just wonderful kids to work with, they don't give you a hard time. Sometimes you just have to push them a bit harder but they are amazing, all of them. That's all I can say about them," said Slabbert.
TEAM SA'S MEDALLISTS
GOLD
Naledi Hlalele (Figure Skating)
SILVER
Bianca Basson (Figure Skating)
Kenneth Mokabo (Figure Skating)
Shane Bentley (Short Track Speed Skating)
BRONZE
Tyrell Sykes (Figure Skating)
Shirnel Swarts (Short Track Speed Skating)