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#TEAMSOGB Daily Update - Friday & Saturday
Special Olympics GB’s 21 athletes at the
World Winter Games in #Austria2017
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Special Olympics GB is proud to update you every day of the #TEAMSOGB’s 21 athletes - eleven Alpine Skiers and ten Figure Skaters – who are representing their country at the 2017 World Winter Games. Athletes from Wales, Scotland, South East, North West, Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside and East of England regions are representing Special Olympics GB at World Winter Games #Austria2017. The showpiece Special Olympics World Winter Games is held every four years and the largest disability sports event of 2017 anywhere in the World. A spectacular opening ceremony will be held in Schladming on Saturday 18th March 2017.
If you want to follow the Great Britain team and see how well the athletes are performing in competition please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up to the hour updates!
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#TEAMSOGB Final Medal Tally
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8 Gold
5 Silver
5 Bronze
5 4th position
4 5th position
1 6th position
1 7th position
1 8th position
2 Participation Ribbons
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We were delighted to see Special Olympics GB’s successful World Winter Games athletes and coaches arrive back from Austria on Saturday 25th March 2017 at 1.00pm with medals and memories.
They arrived jubilant back into Heathrow Terminal 2 as we can see in the picture below.
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New ESPN video on #TEAMSOGB Charleston ski twins
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There are days when Ruth (left) and Tyler Charleston, identical twins on Great Britain's alpine ski team, wish they weren't one-half of a whole. But push past first appearances, and the teens are actually quite individual. Watch the video here!
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Final Alpine Skiing medal tally and achievements
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Lauren Payne - Gold Giant Slalom & Slalom
Tyler Charleston - Gold Giant Slalom & Slalom
Ruth Charleston - 5th GS, Bronze in Slalom
Becky Owen - 5th GS, Bronze in Slalom
Lauren Cain- Participation Ribbon,
Silver in slalom
Alex Scarborough - Silver Super G,
Bronze in slalom
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Karen Oosthuizen -Silver Giant Slalom,
Gold in Slalom
Anthony Coulon - Bronze GS, Silver in Slalom
James Millard - 4th in SG & GS
Owen Stephen - 4th in SG,
Participation Ribbon
David Corr - 4th in GS, Gold in Slalom
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Smiles this morning as everyone had a long lie, the team reflected over breakfast on the achievements and life long memories forged this past week. We came as individuals from all over Britain and are going home as one team - proud to have represented our country.
Austria, Schladming has done Special Olympics proud, from the moment we arrived at host town - a fantastic and calming atmosphere for the athletes to soak in some Austrian culture before competing to Schladming where everything has been an extremely well organised operation from the piste to accommodation to food. Everyone has served us with a smile and a friendly attitude, we could not have been made more welcome.
Read Assistant Head of Delegation – Adrienne Purdie's full World Winter Games Report Here!
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Final Figure Skating medal tally and achievements
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Heather McNeil – Gold
Courtney Montgomery – Gold
Calum Titmus- Silver
Stephanie Gott – Bronze
Jenny Lee – 4th
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Meg McFarlane – 5th
Graeme Watson – 5th
Jonathan McSalley – 6th
Elouise Carruthers - 7th
Calum Mills – 8th
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The two weeks have been a whirlwind of an experience.
We've seen a beautiful country we had never seen before, we've seen extraordinary people achieving extraordinary things
We've been challenged with so many different situations and pushed to the limit.
We've never been more moved by the people of the world or witnessed such kindness and heart-warming encouragement with no judgement or discrimination.
We've made friends with the coaching team and got to know 10 amazing young people who have made us all proud beyond words, and it's all been revolving around the one passion that's closest to our hearts, ice skating. What an event and a sport to give such strength and courage to so many athletes and countries.
Read Emily Onley's full World Winter Games Report Here!
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#Austria2017 - Round Up Films
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2017 Special Olympics Winter World Games
A beautiful video that captures the
Special Olympics Movement's heart!
Click here to Watch!
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The closing ceremony was the end of an exciting and emotional time. The "Flame of Hope" was extinguished but the "Heartbeat around the world" will continue to live. Helene Fischer and Andreas Gabalier performed at the Closing, along with Rose May Alaba and Grace VanderWaal.
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Special Olympics GB athletes represent Global Change and Leadership at World Games in Austria
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Three Special Olympics GB athletes have been providing inspirational leadership for the organisation on a global stage at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria this last fortnight.
Matt Dodds from Hertfordshire has been participating in the Global Youth Leadership summit, while Ian Harper was a leading figure at the ‘Unified Talk’ session in Schladming on Monday.
In addition, from the North West, Kiera Byland has taken part in the Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Athlete Input Council.
Karen Wallin, CEO of Special Olympics GB, said: “To have three of our athletes involved in such prominent roles within the organisation on a global stage makes us all feel very proud.
“They are not only representing Special Olympics but also their communities where they are making a huge difference and advocates for change and inclusion.”
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Matt Dodds, a Special Olympics GB World Games gold medal-winning footballer from St Albans, has achieved another great feat – beating off international competition to be selected as a Global Change Ambassador for the Special Olympics over the last two weeks.
The 24-year-old was selected for the role alongside Youth Sport Trust Youth Board Member, Gemma Maclean, who is based in Inverness. Both young people will take up their roles at the Special Olympics Social Impact Summit in Graz, Austria over the last fortnight.
Read more here!
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Kiera Byland has been attending the Special Olympics EE Athlete Leadership Health and Fitness workshop as an Advocate for Special Olympics Great Britain over the last number of days at #Austria2017.
Kiera said: “Day one was meeting new athlete leaders from different countries and it was nice to meet new faces and reconnect with the Athlete Inclusion Council members.
“On Day 1 – 3, I liked the balance between theory and practical - but the practical sessions were the best.
Read more here!
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Our gratitude and thanks go to Special Olympics GB athlete and athlete leader Ian Harper for an awesome contribution this week.
Ian told us: “I have returned from Schaldming in Austria in which I had a the best two days of my life.
“First I went to the Founders Ball the night before I did a speech - which was a great show hearing from the Global Messengers & Tim Shriver the Special Olympics Chairman. I then went to do a speech early the next morning as part of a group panel which included Kelly Fredickson the Vice-President of Bank America.
Read more here!
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If you would like to view the previous WWG TeamSOGB update newsletters, please click below:
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The closing ceremony was the end of an exciting and emotional time. The "Flame of Hope" was extinguished but the "Heartbeat around the world" will continue to live.
Helene Fischer and Andreas Gabalier performed at the Closing, along with Rose May Alaba and Grace VanderWaal.
Click to read more!
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A big day of competition for so many of our #TEAMSOGB athletes. We had 9 skiers competing in the Giant Slalom and two level 1 figure skaters in competition.
The figure skaters got to spend the day with British Skating Legends Torvill and Dean.
Click to read more!
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Ahead of the opening ceremony, three of our skiers were straight in the action with divisioning.
For the skaters it was an early start, for the majority the first time they had skated on an outside rink.
Click to read more!
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#TEAMSOGB departed from Heathrow Terminal 2 late morning helped by volunteers from ESPN and Bank of America. After two flights, the 21 Special Olympics GB athletes arrived with their coaches in Graz.
Click to read more!
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Today was the last day of competing and what it day it was with 10 skiers competing and 9 achieving medals.
Awards were colected this morning for all the level 2 skaters (Meg, Courtney, Jenny, Callum Mills, Graeme)
Competition was in the afternoon!
Click to read more!
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Only one figure skater was in competition today, so after they had cheered on Eloise, the athletes got to spend some time with family.
The skiing was all about divisioning, preparing for a full race day tomorrow.
Click to read more!
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This today is the first team photo of our skiers with their #TEAMSOGB race bibs on and the race course in the back ground. For our figure skaters, training this morning and the last 24 hours have been exciting as they travelled to Graz.
Click to read more!
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The moment gets closer to the Special Olympics World Winter Games Opening Ceremony. For our 21 #TEAMSOGB athletes, coaches, volunteers and family, excitement abounds.
Click to read more!
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The morning started with thick fog which brought new challenges for the skiers. Visibility was down to 30 meters but that didn't stop the athletes doing their best.
Heather McNeil today received her Gold medal for her performance (Level 1 Ladies, ages 16-19yrs). Everyone was so proud of her and she really has become a star.
Click to read more!
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All of the figure skaters competeted in the first satge of the compulsorary elements which are worth 33% of their final mark.
We had our first competition results in the Alpine skiing, finishing the day with a 2nd and two fourths.
Click to read more!
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Practice plus a mountain trip for #TEAMSOGB as they prepare for the Opening Ceremony and the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
Click to read more!
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Special Olympics GB’s 21 athletes together with their 10 #TEAMSOGB coaches enjoyed a special send-off tea-party at the Coca-Cola’s offices on Wimpole Street in Central London to wish them good luck.
Click to read more!
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