Matthew Gabello of Rochester, New York, became a Special Olympics athlete nearly 23 years ago. In addition to figure skating, Matthew started training in equestrian last year. Special Olympics has shown Matthew that there are no limits to what he can accomplish and achieve. One of those achievements will be representing Special Olympics USA in figure skating. Traveling to compete in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, this will be Matthew’s fourth time visiting Italy.
His ambition transcends sports, earning the rank of Eagle Scout and serving with the Knights of Columbus. With his training in manufacturing, Matthew is employed bottling, grinding and packaging spices for the military. He also works out regularly and volunteers weekly at his church, where he assists with housekeeping. Given his father’s Italian heritage, Matthew has finally accomplished a lifelong goal of representing his home country in Italy.