Libertyville native only woman representing Illinois on USA Team at Special Olympics World Games in Italy

From the Midwest prairie land to the Italian Alps, Libertyville native Mallory Marvin is blazing a trail one snowshoe at a time.

Marvin, 28, will compete in the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy this March. She’s the only woman representing Illinois on the Special Olympics USA Team. She will be among 1,500 athletes competing in the Games.

“I’m really excited,” said Marvin. “This is an exciting opportunity, and this is the first time I did a World Games.”

Marvin, who has cerebral palsy and developmental delays, will be participating in two snowshoe sprinting events at the games, applying her 14 years worth of experience in the sport.

Also competing in snowshoeing at the Winter Games in Turin is Brandon Waller of Palatine. Waller has participated in Special Olympics for more than 11 years, competing in athletics, snowshoeing, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Marvin trains five days a week, according to her father, Donn Marvin. Three of those days involve running in snowshoes, two days of basketball and one day dedicated to athletic training.

“We usually spend a fair amount of time in Florida,” Donn Marvin said. “We’re not there this winter because she needs to be training every week in colder weather.

“Typically she’s running on grass. The competition may be on grass, it may be in snow, which is preferred — or maybe just running in mud,” Donn Marvin said.

Snowshoeing is a sport which dates back more than 6,000 years to Central Asia, according to Mountain House. Like hiking, it involves trekking across snow-covered ground in wide framed outer footwear, which distributes the wearer’s weight across a wide surface area.

The footwear, according to Donn Marvin, often piques the curiosity of passersby during her training — particularly in the warmer climate of Florida early last year.

“A lot of people would come up to us, first of all even wondering what was on her feet, wondering what she was doing,” he said. “It made great conversation.”

Once made of wood and rawhide bindings, modern snowshoes typically are made from lightweight metals for optimal performance.

Having previously visited more central regions of Italy, Mallory Marvin said she’s excited to return to the country and visit the northern city of Turin.

“I like learning about the culture there, and the food,” she said.

She currently competes in snowshoe competitions in Illinois for the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County, and is heading to the Illinois Special Olympics Winter Games held in Galena beginning Feb. 11.

On preparing for the games, Marvin said staying on top of her wellness and training is of high importance.

“Making sure I train more and eat healthy to make sure you’ll be healthy for the games, and try not to injure yourself,” she said.

In addition to athletics, Marvin serves as a Special Olympics Global Messenger and Athlete Leader, giving speeches at fundraising events throughout the state of Illinois.

“Special Olympics trains the athletes to be public speakers, to be confident and feel comfortable sharing their story of what Special Olympics means to them,” Donn Marvin said.

In her free time, Mallory said she enjoys puzzles, playing video games, and volunteering at the Our House of Hope Pet Rescue Shelter in Libertyville.

Waller said Special Olympics has helped him gain confidence and self-discipline, and grow as a person and athlete leader. An avid runner, Waller was part of his high school’s track and cross-country team and has competed in the Special Olympics 800-meter race at “Distance Night in Palatine,” winning first place the last three years.

Waller works at Harper College in Palatine, in a food service support role. He said representing the USA Team at the Winter Games is “a dream come true.”