Usha Vance to Lead U.S. Delegation at 2025 Special Olympics in Italy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Usha Vance has been appointed to lead the U.S. presidential delegation to the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, scheduled for March 7-10, 2025, according to an announcement from the Office of President Donald Trump on Thursday.

As the second lady of the United States, Usha Vance will participate in several events, including the opening ceremony on March 8. The World Winter Games will feature approximately 1,500 athletes from 100 countries competing in eight winter sports, including alpine skiing, figure skating, and snowboarding.

Usha Vance, a lawyer by profession, is married to Vice President JD Vance, with whom she shares three children. The couple has been married since 2014, and Usha made history in January 2025 as the first Indian American to hold the role of second lady.

In addition to her duties at the Special Olympics, Usha Vance attended President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on March 4, where she expressed her disappointment regarding the lack of support for certain guests from the Democratic Party. “It was heartbreaking, and honestly I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not,” she stated about the event’s atmosphere.

Usha sat alongside former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb during the event. McNabb later criticized members of the Democratic Party for not standing for guests with powerful personal stories. “They didn’t stand up for DJ Daniel, who is the young boy who survived brain cancer,” McNabb explained. “They didn’t stand up for Laken Riley’s family, whose daughter literally suffered a traumatic death that should have never happened.”

The presidential delegation to the Special Olympics will also include Shawn Crowley, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Italy; Trent Michael Morse, deputy assistant to the president; Riley M. Barnes, senior bureau official of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Douglass Benning, consul general; Rachel Campos-Duffy, a FOX News host; Boris Epshteyn, senior counsel and senior advisor to Trump; and Richard Walters, partner at FGS Global.

The Special Olympics are recognized as the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event. This year, the athletes will participate in competitions across various disciplines, aiming for Olympic gold.

Usha Vance is known for her involvement beyond her official duties. She has served as a trustee of the Washington National Opera and has been actively engaged with several organizations, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Following the conclusion of the Games, the presidential delegation will return to the United States on March 10, 2025.