Special Olympic skier competes in South Korean Winter Games

A Special Olympic skier from Worcestershire is flying to South Korea today to take part in the Special Olympics Winter Games.

Clare Lines from Redditch will be competing with the other six members of the Special Olympic Great Britain team in PyeongChang.

Clare and the team had a send-off at the residence of the South Korean ambassador in London before their 11-hour flight to the country.

They were welcomed with drinks, canapes and a special cake at the residence of His Excellency Suk-Hwan Park in Kensington, and presented with special brooches showing the flags of South Korea and the United Kingdom.

Thousands of athletes from around the world will gather for the Games which last for a week, and take place every two years. Events include figure skating, cross-country and alpine skiing, and snowboarding.

The seven members of the squad were chosen from 73 athletes with learning disabilities who qualified at Special Olympics Great Britain’s National Alpine Ski Championships in Pila, Italy.

Clare has skied since the age of seven, and ITV News Central went to see her in training for the Games last year. She will be competing in the Alpine events in South Korea.

And the skis which she'll be using to power down the slopes - they're supplied by White Mountain Ski, based in Stafford.