Thousands of Special Olympics athletes, coaches, families and fans will be taking over Christchurch during the National Summer Games one year from today.

Heading back to Christchurch for the first time in 20 years on 10-14 December 2025, the National Summer Games are the pinnacle event for athletes with an intellectual disability in New Zealand every four years, and the largest inclusive sports event in the country with over 1400 athletes, their coaches and support crew.

“We are thrilled to bring the National Summer Games to Christchurch. This event will be an inspiring celebration of athletic achievement, courage, and community, where athletes of all abilities will have the opportunity to showcase their talents” says Special Olympics New Zealand Chief Executive Fran Scholey.

“It’s a huge event, not just for Christchurch, but for the whole country when these extraordinary athletes all with intellectual disabilities come together to compete, have fun and show Aotearoa what inclusion and joy is all about.”

To mark the one year countdown, hundreds of local athletes and their supporters gathered at Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub for an Unified Football Have-A-Go-Day, to provide a taste of the inclusion and energy that will be on show throughout Christchurch next year.

Ngā Puna Wai will host multiple competitions next year and is one of the eight venues that will host athletes competing in 11 different sports.

That will include the brand-new Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre that will host the swimming and basketball competitions.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says it will be great to see events like this returning to Christchurch.

“We can’t wait to show off our wonderful city and our world-class sports facilities to the athletes and fans from all over New Zealand,” he says.

“This will be the first major sports event across multiple venues to be held in Christchurch for over a decade. We can’t wait to experience the excitement these games will bring to Christchurch.”

Fran Scholey says that Special Olympics New Zealand was keen to come back to Christchurch after the challenging decade of recovery and thanked the Christchurch City Council and all the local sports clubs for their support.

“The last time the National Summer Games were in Christchurch was in 2005, so it has been a long time, especially considering Special Olympics Canterbury is the largest of our 42 clubs,” says Scholey who adds that the National Summer Games is not just about the athletes and their support crews.

“The National Summer Games is truly a special event in many different ways, so we want to encourage the people of Christchurch to get involved, as a spectator or as a volunteer.” 

The One Year To Go event was also used to introduce rugby star Scott Barrett as one of the ambassadors for the National Summer Games. Scott’s sister Zara has long been competing at the Special Olympics, so the proud Canterbury forward jumped at the chance to support the event.

“I can’t wait for the National Summer Games to come to Christchurch and see all these amazing athletes in action. And I want to encourage the people of Canterbury to come and join the party as a supporter or as a volunteer,” says Barrett.

Scholey explains that the National Summer Games is one of most complex sporting events to deliver and will require over 600 volunteers to support athletes around their competitions, accommodation, transport, nutritional needs, and the Healthy Athletes Programme. 

“As part of National Summer Games we provide a comprehensive health programme  for every athlete which is a huge logistical operation and relies on the support of many qualified volunteers,” says Scholey.

“Like our athletes, our volunteers will have a hugely rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and in some cases life-changing experience working with our athletes and enjoying the joy that Special Olympics brings to our athletes and everyone involved with them.”

Scholey says she is already looking forward to the disco after the closing ceremony which for many athletes is the highlight of the National Games. 

“Sadly, due to Covid risks, we had to cancel the disco at our last National Games in Hamilton in 2021, so our athletes are keen to make up for lost time. It will be the biggest party Christchurch will see all year.”