Having hosted the Olympic Games three times before, the 1936,1972 Summer Olympics and 1936 Winter Games, Germany will now be hosting the Special Olympics World Summer Games for the very first time. The 2023 Games, which comprises 26 sport events, will be staged from 17-25 June in Berlin, with the official opening ceremony set for this coming Sunday, June 17th.
More than 7,000 athletes and unified partners and about 16,000 volunteers are expected to grace the Games and Team Botswana is represented in both groups with Dineo Tshosa, as part of the 16000 volunteers. Dineo, who is not new to volunteerism, has served all disability sport federations in Botswana and was awarded the National Volunteerism Award in 2020 as well as the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship for the same effect. From just a summer camp in 1962, to the first Games in 1968 with athletes from the U.S and Canada only, the Special Olympics movement now boasts in excess of 5 million athletes in more than 170 countries.
The organisation serves as a platform for promoting inclusion and acceptance of persons diagnosed with intellectual impairments. It was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of former U.S. president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and has since morphed into a worldwide movement. It is the only sports organisation approved by the International Olympic Committee to use the word 'Olympics' as part of their name. The goal of the Special Olympics Games is to celebrate the achievements of individuals with intellectual impairments and promote inclusion through social participation on a global stage.
Participation in the Special Olympics programme starts from the age of two with the motor activity training programs and young athletes’ program. Competitive sport participation however starts from the age of eight. The purpose of the young athletes’ programme is to engage the children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities through developmentally appropriate play activities designed to foster physical, cognitive, and social development while also introducing them to the world of sport prior to Special Olympics eligibility.
It is important to note that the Special Olympics movement is far more than just sport, it also incorporates athlete health and leadership programs as well as family forums. During the Games, there will also be a Global Athletes Leadership Summit, bringing together young people with and without intellectual impairments from across the globe in a youth-led platforms, to develop the skills they need to become agents of change in their communities. Prior to the games, there will also be inclusion forums with diverse leaders from around the world.
It is important to note that Special Olympics competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions. This practice marks one of the fundamental differences between Special Olympics competitions and those of most other sports organisations. Furthermore, as a way of promoting inclusion, athletes with intellectual impairments can form unified teams with other similar age individuals without intellectual impairments.
This allows for engagement of people with and without disabilities through the power of sports to promote better understanding amongst each other. Interestingly, not all countries in Africa are part of the Special Olympics movement. Only about 37 delegations with 468 and 87 unified partners are expected to participate at the 2023 Berlin Games.
The public is encouraged to join Special Olympics athletes who are leading the #inclusion revolution. Find out more on how to get involved in your region by visiting www.specialolympics.org and follow the Games at www.berlin2023.org. Let’s create a more inclusive world together!!
More than 7,000 athletes and unified partners and about 16,000 volunteers are expected to grace the Games and Team Botswana is represented in both groups with Dineo Tshosa, as part of the 16000 volunteers. Dineo, who is not new to volunteerism, has served all disability sport federations in Botswana and was awarded the National Volunteerism Award in 2020 as well as the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship for the same effect. From just a summer camp in 1962, to the first Games in 1968 with athletes from the U.S and Canada only, the Special Olympics movement now boasts in excess of 5 million athletes in more than 170 countries.
The organisation serves as a platform for promoting inclusion and acceptance of persons diagnosed with intellectual impairments. It was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of former U.S. president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and has since morphed into a worldwide movement. It is the only sports organisation approved by the International Olympic Committee to use the word 'Olympics' as part of their name. The goal of the Special Olympics Games is to celebrate the achievements of individuals with intellectual impairments and promote inclusion through social participation on a global stage.
Participation in the Special Olympics programme starts from the age of two with the motor activity training programs and young athletes’ program. Competitive sport participation however starts from the age of eight. The purpose of the young athletes’ programme is to engage the children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities through developmentally appropriate play activities designed to foster physical, cognitive, and social development while also introducing them to the world of sport prior to Special Olympics eligibility.
It is important to note that the Special Olympics movement is far more than just sport, it also incorporates athlete health and leadership programs as well as family forums. During the Games, there will also be a Global Athletes Leadership Summit, bringing together young people with and without intellectual impairments from across the globe in a youth-led platforms, to develop the skills they need to become agents of change in their communities. Prior to the games, there will also be inclusion forums with diverse leaders from around the world.
It is important to note that Special Olympics competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions. This practice marks one of the fundamental differences between Special Olympics competitions and those of most other sports organisations. Furthermore, as a way of promoting inclusion, athletes with intellectual impairments can form unified teams with other similar age individuals without intellectual impairments.
This allows for engagement of people with and without disabilities through the power of sports to promote better understanding amongst each other. Interestingly, not all countries in Africa are part of the Special Olympics movement. Only about 37 delegations with 468 and 87 unified partners are expected to participate at the 2023 Berlin Games.
The public is encouraged to join Special Olympics athletes who are leading the #inclusion revolution. Find out more on how to get involved in your region by visiting www.specialolympics.org and follow the Games at www.berlin2023.org. Let’s create a more inclusive world together!!
