West Kelowna cross-country skier wins 3 gold medals at Special Olympics in Italy

Photo: Special Olympics Team Canada

Francis Stanley, Special Olympics Cross-Country Skiing competition

Francis Stanley, a cross-country skier from West Kelowna, recently returned from the 2025 Special Olympics in Turin, Italy with gold medals.

Stanley captured gold in three free technique categories: five-kilometre, four-by-one kilometre relay and the 10-kilometre race.

His big win in the 10-km race was one of the first gold medals of the games. He sealed the victory at 23:15, cutting more than two minutes off his previous best time.

Faster than anything he had achieved in training or earlier competitions, Stanley’s accomplishments are especially noteworthy after a major setback. He suffered a punctured lung earlier this year, forcing him to step away from training for weeks.

His mom, Anabelle Stanley, is the head coach of the Special Olympics cross-country skiing team and she has supported him throughout his skiing career.

Diagnosed with autism and epilepsy as a child, he spent years in and out of the hospital with uncontrolled seizures. School was a challenge, but when he was skiing, none of that mattered.

“Skiing is life,” he says simply, according to an article from Special Olympics Team Canada.

His message to others is simple: “Everyone can be an athlete. Come and join us, it’s fun.”