Special Olympics RI celebrates three athletes traveling to Italy for 2025 World Winter Games
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WLNE) — Special Olympics Rhode Island held a sendoff for three athletes traveling to Italy for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games.
Kayla Edgar of Westerly, Brianna Puglia of Narragansett, and Ian Shepherd of Newport will compete for team USA in Turin, Italy from March 8 to 16.
Kayla and Brianna will compete in Snowshoeing, and Ian will compete in Alpine Skiing, together joining 101 other athletes and Unified partners representing the United States at the world games.
At the sendoff, the athletes shared their thoughts about competing in the games overseas.
“Its gonna be a lot of fun… this is actually gonna be my first world games ever, so to be going to Italy, where actually my ancestors are from, like my great-grandfather was born in Sicily, so that’s kinda cool too,” Brianna said. “So, I’d like to think I’m representing the USA and my family history.”
The celebration concluded with a police cruiser sendoff from the Smithfield Police Department and Lincoln Police Department, who escorted the athletes “on their first leg of their journey to Italy,” according to SORI.
