Christchurch lights flame for Special Olympics, an ‘event unlike any other’

Monday, 1 September 2025

The countdown is on for the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch, with the Flame of Hope being lit at the Bridge of Remembrance at sunrise on Monday.

The ceremony marked 100 days until the games open on December 10, running until December 14.

Local Canterbury Special Olympics athletes, joined by police representatives, lit the Flame of Hope. It will now travel the country as part of the traditional law enforcement torch run.

The run, which begins in Northland on October 4 and moves down to Southland before returning to Christchurch, is designed to get local communities excited about the country’s largest inclusive sports event.

“Lighting the Flame of Hope means that the games are just around the corner, so we hope Christchurch is ready for the biggest party of the year,” said Special Olympics New Zealand chief executive Fran Scholey.

The National Summer Games, held every four years, is the pinnacle event for more than 1200 athletes with intellectual disabilities, representing 42 clubs.

They will compete across 10 sports and six venues, supported by more than 500 coaches, thousands of families and more than 600 volunteers, many of whom have already signed up. Roles include referees, marshals, clinicians, sports crews, and transport support.

“It’s one of the biggest responses we’ve ever had, so anyone who wants to get involved should not wait too long to sign up as a volunteer,” Scholey said.

Athlete Al Wood, surrounded by fellow athletes, holds the Special Olympics flame in Christchurch on Monday morning.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger, Olympic trampolinist Dylan Schmidt — a Special Olympics ambassador — and other supporters attended the dawn event.

“We can’t wait for all the teams to arrive in our city, and show off our fantastic new sports venues,” Mauger said.

The games will be the first major multi-venue sporting event in Christchurch in more than a decade, he said.

Wood holds the Special Olympics flame after it was lit at the Bridge of Remembrance in central Christchurch to mark 100 days until the start of the National Special Olympics, being held in the city in December.

It will be the first time Christchurch has hosted the games in 20 years, and the third time overall, following previous events in 1997 and 2005.

The athletes will be among the first to use the brand-new Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre, which will host swimming and basketball competitions, as well as the healthy athletes programme, where participants undergo health checks.

The complex is expected to be completed in October, before a council-managed fit-out and opening in late 2025. Other venues include Ngā Puna Wai and Cowles Stadium.

The four founding athletes of Special Olympics New Zealand in 1983, from left: Peter Spijkerman, Colin Bailey (with goggles), Brent Busy and Gordon Llewellyn. Bailey and Llewellyn, both from Lower Hutt, would go on to become two of the most well known Special Olympians in New Zealand.

The games will feature football, swimming, equestrian, basketball, powerlifting, tenpin bowling, athletics, bocce, indoor bowls, and golf.

Hamilton hosted the last games in 2022, which were postponed from 2021 due to Covid, while the inaugural national Special Olympics in Lower Hutt in 1985 involved 672 athletes.

“The National Summer Games are unlike any other event,” Scholey said.

Local Special Olympics athletes join police representatives to light the flame in Christchurch on Monday. The torch will now travel the country as part of the law enforcement torch relay, a tradition symbolising the partnership between police and the games.

“From the opening ceremony at Wolfbrook Arena on December 10 to the Closing Ceremony Disco — which is the highlight for most athletes — we hope people will come along to experience unforgettable memories and support our athletes.”

Police Inspector Rupert Friend said the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) was a key way to support Special Olympics athletes.

The summer Special Olympics will run from December 10 to 14, featuring about 1500 athletes aged 15 to 70 across 10 sports.

“The Torch Run has grown over the years and now includes many fundraising platforms including Polar Plunges,” he said.

“We held two plunges in Wellington and Christchurch this year where a total of $26,000 was raised for our New Zealand athletes.”

LETR is a worldwide organisation and this year celebrated raising $1 billion to support the Special Olympics.

Friend encouraged Kiwis to get involved at Torch Run events around the country from October to December. The run will begin in Northland on October 4, move down to Southland, and return to Christchurch in the week before the games.