It’s not every day that a NorCal law enforcement officer and Special Olympics athlete get the chance to run together through the streets of Italy. But that’s exactly what happened earlier this year as a part of the Final Leg Torch Run at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.
The Final Leg Torch Run is a Special Olympics World Games tradition that raises funds and awareness in the host country during the biennial event. A select group of law enforcement personnel from around the world come together with athletes to carry the Flame of Hope for roughly a week through local cities and towns, taking part in numerous special events and celebrations along the way.
Special Olympics NorCal was proud to be represented in the Torch Run by Division Director Cristal Sanchez from the Monterey County Probation Department and Athlete Leader Wyatt Wheetley from Humboldt County. Cristal was one of 81 law enforcement runners and Wyatt had the unique honor of being one of only eight athletes to take part in the run, becoming NorCal’s first World Games athlete Torch Runner since 2015.
“Having officers from all over the world there for the same cause was exciting,” said Dir. Sanchez. “We all became a family instantly. We all looked after each other and the athletes. It was like we all had known each other for a long time.”
The Final Leg Torch Run began on February 25 at Zappeion Palace in Athens, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics. After the Torch was lit (and Wyatt celebrated his birthday), the group traveled to Italy and spent the next eight days running through the country and being supported by local fans.
“The cities we visited were wonderful,” said Dir. Sanchez. “The residents all welcomed us with open arms. It was invigorating to feel when we approached the cities with residents cheering us on.”
Along with feeling welcomed by local residents, the Torch Runners and athletes also built their own environment of encouragement and joy within the group. Looking past language barriers and cultural differences, the law enforcement runners came together through a shared passion for Special Olympics and love for the athletes – most notably, Wyatt.
“Wyatt was grinning from ear to ear every day,” said Dir. Sanchez. “He knew that he was taken care of and that made me so happy.”
Highlights along the Torch Run included a trip to the Vatican, a halftime appearance at a Juventus soccer match, a journey up into the Alps, chocolate sampling for Wyatt and much more. The Torch Run came to an end at the World Winter Games Opening Ceremony in Turin on March 8, where Dir. Sanchez helped to guide the Flame of Hope around the arena to light the cauldron and officially open the Games.
“{The Opening Ceremony} exceeded my expectations,” said Dir. Sanchez. “Seeing all the athletes and all the supporters of the athletes was an indescribable feeling. Excited, happy, emotional, inspiring!”
Overall, the experience cemented Wyatt and Cristal’s love for Special Olympics and the unique bond that our organization creates for people across the globe.
“It was an honor to be an ambassador and to be an athlete on the Final Leg Torch Run at the Winter World Games in Italy,” said Wyatt. “The lesson I learned is just how small the world really is. And I also learned that there are thousands of athletes around the world who are just like me.”
“The Special Olympics athletes were the highlight for me,” said Dir. Sanchez. “They were my motivation and my why for being there. Seeing their smiles, receiving high fives and hugs from them was incredible.”
For Wyatt, World Games ended up being even bigger than the name.
“I loved it,” he said. “The whole experience was out of this world.”
