Special Olympics GB announces 21 athletes to go to World Winter Games Austria 2017

12th May 2016

Special Olympics GB is proud and honoured to announce a team of 21 athletes with intellectual (learning) disabilities - eleven Alpine Skiers and ten Figure Skaters who will represent their country at the 2017 World Winter Games.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games is one of the biggest events in the movement's global calendar and held every four years. This sporting showpiece event will be held in Austria in March next year - commencing with a spectacular opening ceremony on 18th March 2017. The full delegation of athletes and coaches can be found below: Sport Surname Name Position Club Region Home Town   Williams Alex Head of Delegation Carmarthenshire Wales Llandeilo   Purdie Adrienne Assistant Head of Delegation Grampian Scotland Aberdeen   Onley Emily Special Olympics GB Special Olympics GB Special Olympics GB Special Olympics GB Alpine Skiing de Vanney Liam Head Coach South East Ski Group South East Bromley Alpine Skiing Jesse Pete Coach Surrey South East Farnham Alpine Skiing Murphy Josh Coach Event Team East Midlands Willerby Alpine Skiing Cain Lauren Athlete Grampian Scotland Aberdeen Alpine Skiing Charleston Tyler Athlete Carmarthenshire Wales Llanelli Alpine Skiing Corr David Athlete Rossendale Special Ski Club North West Chorley Alpine Skiing Coulon Anthony Athlete South East Ski Group South East Great Bookham Alpine Skiing Desmond Joanne Athlete City of Birmingham West Midlands Sutton Coldfield Alpine Skiing Millard James Athlete West Midlands Ski Group West Midlands Wolverhampton Alpine Skiing Oosthuizen Karen Athlete Surrey South East New Malden Alpine Skiing Owen Rebecca Athlete Rossendale Special Ski Club North West Bacup Alpine Skiing Payne Lauren Athlete South East Ski Group South East New Eltham Alpine Skiing Scarborough Alexander Athlete Surrey South East Farnham Alpine Skiing Stephen Owen Athlete Grampian Scotland Drumoak Figure Skating Chatwin Louisa Head Coach Nottinghamshire East Midlands Selston Figure Skating Crocker Paul Coach South East Hampshire Southern Gosport Figure Skating Richardson-Delaney Pam Coach Merseyside North West Altrincham Figure Skating Stokes Ann Coach Scotland West Scotland Coatbridge Figure Skating Carruthers Eloise Athlete Essex Eastern Chelmsford Figure Skating Gott Steph Athlete Merseyside North West Runcorn Figure Skating Lee Jenny Athlete Bradford Yorkshire & Humberside Keighley Figure Skating McFarlane Meg Athlete Nottinghamshire East Midlands Newark Figure Skating McNeil Heather Athlete Scotland West Scotland Airdrie Figure Skating McSalley Jonathan Athlete Scotland West Scotland Coatbridge Figure Skating Mills Callum Athlete Nottinghamshire East Midlands Mansfield Figure Skating Montgomery Courtney Athlete Scotland West Scotland Cumbernauld Figure Skating Titmus Calum Athlete Peterborough Eastern Great Gidding Figure Skating Watson Graeme Athlete Scotland West Scotland Coatbridge   It is the world's largest sports and humanitarian event in 2017 and will be helped to be hosted by Hollywood star - the World's most famous Austrian and Honorary President of the Games -  Arnold Schwarzenegger. Graz and Schladming in the Styria region of Austria will host the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Austria will welcome almost 3,000 Special Olympics athletes from 110 nations to compete in nine Olympic-type winter sports. The Special Olympics World Winter Games returns to Austria, the location of the fifth Special Olympics World Winter Games in 1993 in Salzburg and Schladming. Around 1,600 athletes from 63 nations competed in five sports in those Games, which were the first World Games held outside the United States. Tim Shriver, Global Chairman of Special Olympics, said: -On behalf of our entire Special Olympics movement worldwide, I am thrilled to award our 2017 World Games to Graz and Schladming in the beautiful state of Styria. -Austria was the first country outside the U.S. to host a Special Olympics World Games and helped us show the world the gifts and talents of our Special Olympics athletes. -It is fitting that we would return to a country that has demonstrated its commitment to people with intellectual disabilities for decades and will embrace our athletes from around the world. 14th 25th March 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 Austria (Graz and Schladming in Styria region) 3,000 Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities from 110 different countries. http://specialolympicsgb.org.uk/breaking-news-special-olympics-gb-announces-21-athletes-go-world-winter-games-austria-2017-0 Hashtags and Twitter handles: #TEAMSOGB @SOGreatBritain #Austria2017 @2017Austria