Cross Country Skier Sebastien Gylander Delivers on His Promise—Brings Home Gold for Canada

Sebastien Gylander captured gold in the 7.5K free technique cross-country ski race at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 in Turin, Italy, finishing with a blistering time of 18:35:60. Not only did he secure the top spot on the podium, but he also achieved a personal best, surpassing the goal he had set for himself before the race.

The 20-year-old from Golden, B.C., entered the competition with confidence after finishing first in his divisioning race. The day before his gold medal win, he spoke about his mindset, saying, "I feel very confident going into the race. I won my divisioning 5K race in 13 minutes and now I'm ready to win it all." His dedication and relentless training paid off, and when he crossed the finish line, he knew he had done exactly what he set out to do.

Gylander’s love for skiing began when he was just a child, introduced to the sport by family friends who took him out on the slopes. He joined Special Olympics at the age of eight, competing in both swimming and skiing. "I just loved it," he said. "I went to my first Special Olympics BC Provincial Games when I was 13, and I just kept going up from there."

Over the years, he has embraced every opportunity that Special Olympics has provided, from training camps to friendships formed along the way. "What I like best about Special Olympics are the friendships with the other athletes, and when we all wear the same uniform for Special Olympics Team Canada," he shared. Wearing the same uniform, traveling together, and competing side by side has created a sense of belonging he hasn’t found anywhere else.

Unlike other sport environments, Sebastian says he finds something different in Special Olympics. "I do a lot of generic races too, and I do well in them, but I don’t know, something about Special Olympics just makes me feel more at home with the people. We’re all one team together, we all travel together, we get to be roommates, and we just get really close."

With a gold medal now added to his achievements, Gylander is already looking ahead to his next events. He will be competing in the 5K free technique race next, an event where he already showed his strength in divisioning, and the 4K relay, which he describes as one of his favourite parts of the Games. "The relay is fun because it’s short—we each do 1K—but we get to compete together, and it’s fun handing it off and then cheering on my next teammate. We’re all fast on Team Canada, so I think we’ll do well in the relay too. And then we all get medals together if we place!"

To Special Olympics athletes across Canada dreaming of making it to a World Games, his advice is straightforward: "Work hard for it, put in the time. You have to give up a lot of time training—but it’s worth it. Work your butt off, and it will happen for you."

To those unfamiliar with Special Olympics, he encourages them to take a closer look. "It’s a really good organization—you should look into it. People with intellectual or developmental disabilities get to play and do all these really cool things, like play sports, maybe even ski and travel the world. People are also friendly—it’s a very welcoming environment. There’s not one time where I’ve felt unwelcome or unwanted. It’s always just inclusive. They take you in with open arms."

Before his race, Gylander had a message for his supporters back home. "To my family and friends watching, I’m going to bring home a medal. And I’m going to make you proud." 

Standing on the podium with gold around his neck, he delivered on that promise.