Shamattawa First Nation teen wins gold at Special Olympics World Winter Games

A gold medal at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games for 15-year-old Cory Beardy had friends, family and supporters cheering last week. 

Beardy, a cross-country skier from Shamattawa First Nation who lives in Thompson, Man., won gold for Canada in the 4x1K relay - free technique, with teammates John O'Neil, Sarah McCarthy and Marley Gayler.

He took part in multiple cross country skiing events during the games, including a fifth place finish in the 500-metre classic race and a fourth place finish in the 1K classic race.

Beardy's coach Marlene Enberg was thrilled with his results.

"Just a smidgen off of the medals in those two races!" Enberg said.

Over 1,500 athletes converged in Turin, Italy to compete in eight sports March 8-15.

In 2023, Beardy competed at the Special Olympics Manitoba Winter Games in Winnipeg and was one of two Manitoba cross-country skiers selected to advance to the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary.

Beardy has been training four to five times a week for the World Winter Games since qualifying for Team Canada after the Calgary competition.

In a post on Facebook, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said Beardy's resilience, determination and passion was an inspiration to all young athletes across the 63 First Nations it represents.

R.D. Parker Collegiate vice-principal Jeff Paradis, who also works with Beardy as a coach, praised his work ethic.

"He's like the Energizer bunny," Paradis said. 

"Whenever I was out there with him, we would take breaks with some of the other kids and just relax and talk. Cory would be out there doing one, two, three, four more laps around the track. So, yeah, he's definitely a great athlete."

Beardy plans to train for the 2029 Special Olympics World Winter Games that will be held in Chur-Graubünden, Switzerland.

But for now, Beardy is a 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games gold medallist.

"I said, 'hey, how about next week, like Monday, think you can bring them in,'" Paradis told Beardy ahead of the school's spirit week festivities during the final week of March.

"And he said, yeah, that'd be cool."