Gliding and inspiring on ice despite his condition
Despite the mountain of challenges he’s had to overcome, Shane Bentley, who was born with an intellectual disability, excels in sport.
Talent, hard work and a great skill set are what ultimately make a great athlete. However, some athletes stand head and shoulders above the rest despite facing adversity.
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Shane Bentley, 40, is one of those athletes who has achieved many accomplishments as a speed skater despite being born with an intellectual disability called Colpocephaly, which is a large or abnormally shaped head. Medically, the South African Journal of Radiology defines Colpocephaly as a congenital enlargement of the occipital horns of the lateral ventricles. Read more about the condition here.
According to Shane’s mother, Joyce Bentley, at just the age of three, the family received the life-changing news that his brain did not develop properly in the womb. She added that while doctors couldn’t explain why, Shane was diagnosed with a severe intellectual disability.
“He attended school, where, despite not learning to read, write, or tell time, he would eventually find his voice in his passion for sports.
It was here that Shane’s journey with sports began, a journey that would become his greatest outlet and source of empowerment,” Joyce said.
Shane has since gone on to accomplish great things, and one of his first milestones was in 2017 when he represented South Africa at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Austria, placing third in short-track speed skating.
He represented South Africa once again at the 2025 World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, bagging a silver medal in the 1 000 metre speed skating race. He trained every week in the build-up to the Olympics and looks on to achieving more success in the future. In addition to speed skating, he enjoys swimming, playing football and jogging.
Joyce said, despite the mountain of challenges he’s had to overcome, Shane continues to excel and inspire.
He uses sports as a means of showing his talent and setting an example that no matter the obstacle one is faced with, just push on and work hard. The glory will come.”
According to the Special Olympics World Winter Games event’s official website, the Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to five million participants and its sport partners in 172 countries.
Special Olympics competitions are held daily around the world, including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than a million events a year. Just like the International Paralympic Committee, the Special Olympics organisation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee; however, unlike the Paralympic Games, its World Games are not held in the same year nor in conjunction with the Olympic Games.
