Special Olympics BC – Vernon snowshoeing athlete Danielle Pechet is ready to give it her all at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games.
“I am very proud and privileged to be on Special Olympics Team Canada,” she says. “My goal is to represent my country to the best of my ability.”
Joining 22 fellow athletes and 13 coaches and mission staff from B.C. on the national team, Pechet will touch down in Italy for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in March. This will mark her first-ever appearance at a World Games, and she’s ready to make it count.
Pechet is well prepared to make the most of this moment, thanks to her hard work in Special Olympics BC – Vernon’s year-round programs. She earned her spot on the national team through her amazing efforts at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary, where she brought home a gold, silver and two bronze medals.
Yet for Pechet, it’s the connections that have stood out. “My favourite memory with Special Olympics has been keeping in touch with the people I met at my first ever competitions,” she says.
She’s eager to meet new people in Italy, as well. “I have made friends from all over B.C. and Canada.”
Traveling without family has been a challenge Pechet faced and overcame throughout her Special Olympics experience.
“(Special Olympics) made me become more independent and not rely on my family so much,” she says. "I learned that I am a lot braver than I thought I was."
Though she's grown more independent, she's thrilled her family will fly to Italy to support and cheer her on, adding that she moves faster when there are people there to support her.
“I really like being cheered on!”
One of the proudest moments of her athletic career came when she received the email that she was selected for the Special Olympics Team Canada 2025 Training Squad.
Pechet has valuable advice for athletes following her journey to Special Olympics World Games: “When it gets challenging, lean on your support system, trust your training, and say ‘I got this.’”
Meet SOTC 2025 members from B.C.
Learn more about the 2025 Special Olympics Winter World Games