‘You’ve made us all proud back home’: First Minister congratulates medal-winning NI athletes at Special Olympics World Winter Games

Two Co Antrim athletes were awarded gold medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, this week.

Alpine skiers Lucy Best, from Ballinderry, and Caolan McConville, from Aghagallon, won their respective competitions, with Lucy claiming gold in the novice category and Caolan being the first ever Special Olympics Ireland skier to win in the advanced division.

Five medals in total were won by athletes competing for Team Ireland.

Galway athlete Maire Connelly also won gold in the novice division, while Waterford man Clive Healy secured bronze in the same event.

Donal Brennan, from Dublin, was awarded a silver medal in the intermediate division.

Caolan, who is the first Special Olympics Ireland athlete to reach the advanced level, said that winning gold was “unbelievable”.

“A lot of hard work was put into this, a lot of training, but, yes, I’m absolutely delighted and hopefully we can go on and win more,” he said.

Head coach Jill Sloan said it had been an “amazing day”.

“Team Ireland have done so well,” she said. “They don’t train on snow… There are a few here who have never been to the Games before. Absolutely thrilled, that’s all I have to say. I am quite emotional, to be honest.”

Meanwhile, assistant head coach Glyn Williamson said he was “really pleased”.

“Words cannot explain it… It’s been a fantastic day. They have trained really hard for today, they have had a great time, and the medals are just the icing on the cake,” he said.

“Really, really pleased. They are full of confidence now, so we are looking forward. It’s another day, a different type of competition, it’s a faster one, but, yes, I believe they are full of confidence, feeling good. There could be more medals — that’s our fingers crossed.”

First Minister Michelle O’Neill congratulated the athletes from Northern Ireland.

“The amazing Lucy Best, from Ballinderry, has just won gold for Team Ireland at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy. Congratulations, Lucy — another incredible achievement from an exceptional athlete. You’ve made us all proud back home!” she wrote on X.

“Massive congratulations to Caolan McConville of Team Ireland, from Aghagallon, on winning gold at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy.

“Caolan, you’ve done yourself, your family and everyone at home incredibly proud. What an outstanding achievement.”