Waikato snowboarder Jarrod Gilbert will be among nine New Zealand athletes with an intellectual disability travelling to Italy on Monday, March 3, to chase medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Gilbert will join over 1500 athletes and 1000 support staff from more than 100 countries in Turin for the largest inclusive winter sports event on the planet.

“The World Winter Games are about much more than just medals, and in some cases can be a life-changing event for these athletes,” said Special Olympics New Zealand chief executive Fran Scholey.

The World Winter Games are the four-yearly pinnacle event in Special Olympics, but it has been a long wait for the alpine athletes after the scheduled 2021 event in Kazan, in Russia, was disrupted by the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

“Our athletes have been training for many years and competing at the New Zealand Winter Games, but it is wonderful for these nine athletes to now reach the highest level of competition,” said Scholey.

Gilbert is excited about experiencing the slopes in Italy and travelling with the New Zealand team.

“It is pretty special to represent New Zealand,” said the 31-year-old from Cambridge.

Gilbert is a well-known face around Cambridge as caretaker of the local Velodrome and is keen to make his Waikato family and supporters proud.

“I want to win, but if I can’t win, I want to do my best trying,” said Gilbert, who bikes to work and hits the gym and pool twice a week to get ready for Turin.

The full team, including six support staff, gather in Auckland on Sunday to receive their personalised beanies, the final part of their uniforms, before they fly out to Italy the following day.

The Kiwis will have four days to acclimatise to their new surroundings before the Opening Ceremony in Turin on Saturday, March 8.

The skiers will compete on the famous slopes of Sestriere, while the snowboarders are in action at Bardonecchia, where they will have two training days to get used to the Italian snow before competition starts on March 11.

After five days of intense competition, they will enjoy the much-anticipated Closing Ceremony party on March 15.

The seven skiers and two snowboarders represent almost all parts of the country from the North Shore to the deep south and they qualified at the most recent National Winter Games in Cardrona in 2023.

Scholey explained that winning local races is only one criteria for athletes to be selected, along with their medical challenges, the ability to work well in a team environment and the capacity to travel independently without their whānau for an extended period.

“Aside from the amazing experience of competing at such an event, the trip itself can be a huge challenge for some athletes, so the learnings from this event will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” said Scholey.

“Many of the families tell us that the athletes come back with much more confidence after competing at a World Games. And hopefully with some medals.”