Snowshoe racer Paul Clucas won gold medals in both Warsaw and Idaho

The Isle of Man Special Olympics team will not be able to compete at the 2011 World Summer Games in Greece unless they can find financial support.

It will cost around £40,000 to send the team of 42 athletes and coaches to the multi-sport event in Athens.

Team Manager Beryl Wooldrige told BBC Isle of Man: "This competition is life-changing for team members, but we badly need support."

Athletics, badminton and equestrianism are among the sports represented.

Last year, the Manx team won nine medals at the Special Olympics European Summer Games in Poland .

Over 7,500 athletes will compete at the Athens Games

The previous year they returned with four golds and a silver from the World Winter Games in Idaho .

Wooldrige continued: "The Isle of Man has consistently achieved superb results at the major competitions and they are very important to the competitors. In fact I would say they are life changing.

"The Athens Games will be the biggest sporting event of 2011 and the trip will give the athletes the opportunity to compete with 7,500 athletes from over 180 countries. We have been working as hard as we can to raise the funds with numerous fund-raising events but we still need a lot of help."

The Games will open on Saturday, 25 June 2011.

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