The World Winter Games will take place from March 14 to 25 and will feature 2700 athletes from 107 countries. Sporting events include figure skating, speed skating, floor hockey, floorball, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and stick shooting. There will also be a dancing demonstration event and a MATP (motor activity trainings program) demonstration event.
The Special Olympics is the biggest international sports movement for people with intellectual disabilities and is designed so that as many people with intellectual disabilities as possible can participate. Athletes complete with those at approximately the same ability level.
Those interested in funding a particular athlete or a particular team can visit the GoFundMe page set up for the Special Olympics. www.gofundme.com/specialolympics
ABC and ESPN2 will cover the games, including live coverage of the Opening Ceremony, which includes performances by Jason Mraz and Grace VanderWall, the winner of “America’s Got Talent.” In addition, the games will be streamed on the ESPN app and via WatchESPN.
The Special Olympics International was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 and is based in Washington. All events are free and open to the public, with the exception of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which require tickets. For more information about the World Winter Games, visit the website: http://www.austria2017.org/en/