It’s difficult to pin down Carter Simpson to talk about his chance to compete for Team Canada at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy from March 8 to 16, 2025.
Most mornings the 30-year-old can be seen on his daily run through the streets of Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake. Later in the day he might be at spin class or helping usher ticket buyers into the Royal George Theatre alongside his mother AnnLiz Simpson.
During the summer there’s track practice every Wednesday and golf every Thursday. Once September comes, the schedule shifts to swimming on Mondays and basketball on Tuesdays.
All of that keeps him active and in great shape to compete in three alpine skiing events wearing the maple leaf for his country next spring.
In March, Carter rocked the slopes at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary - the former Sault Ste. Marie resident opened the competition with a bronze medal in the Giant Slalom, followed that up the next day with a gold medal performance in the Super G race and completed a trifecta of medals on the final day by earning silver in the Slalom.
“We knew he did very well at the Nationals,” says AnnLiz. “But we weren’t sure if he would make it to the Worlds because they only choose a certain number of athletes.”
The family, all avid skiers, had just returned from a trip to Europe on July 13 and received a phone call from Carter’s coach urging her to check her emails. AnnLiz followed up on the suggestion and found the invitation from Team Canada for Carter to be one of six skiers from Ontario to make the trip.
She shows a short cell phone video to The Local of the moment she and her husband Mike Sweeny broke the news to their son. Carter’s face lights up and he bounces up and down with excitement.
“It feels real good,” Carter says when asked what it’s like knowing he has been selected to the team. “I was surprised, but I’m really happy.”
“It’s been his dream, but until you hear it, it’s hard to believe it,” says AnnLiz. “And he’s going with Ben So and Ryan Sorley, with whom he trains in Milton.”
Mike adds that Carter’s coach Carole Metron guided all three skiers through the Nationals in May and she will be part of Team Canada’s coaching staff in Turin, along with Ontario’s head coach Sue Diggins.
It will be the first Special Olympics World Winter Games since Austria 2017. Special Olympics Team Canada will compete in five winter sports: short track speed skating, figure skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and snowshoe. While Turin will host the snow sports, the ice sports will take place at Grenoble.
Special Olympics Team Canada will consist of 135 members, including 91 athletes, 24 coaches, five mission staff, 14 team leadership members and an honorary coach. Additionally, over 70 local training coaches from across Canada will support the team from heir hometowns.
The process to get Carter ready to compete has already begun. On Sunday he had a chance to have his first Zoom meeting with Diggins and the rest of the skiers. In December he will head out to a four-day training camp in Alberta. He’s hoping those dates don’t clash with NOTL’s annual Santa Run, which he looks forward to entering again.
“Just the other day he told me ‘I’m ready to go to Italy’," says Mike.
“He is mentally ready, for sure,” says AnnLiz. “He still needs to get new fitted ski boots and new giant slalom skis. With Team Ontario he had a very specific workout program. Spin class has been great for developing his quad strength. We did a lot of work on balance with the Bosu ball. Team Canada will have its own regimen for him.”
And like in Calgary in March, Turin will be a family affair, as Mike, AnnLiz and Carter’s siblings are all planning to be there to cheer him on.
“We’re so proud of him,” says AnnLiz. “When we heard only six athletes were making it, we just didn’t know. But he worked hard for it.”