Special Olympics SA marks ‘Road to Berlin’

MONDAY marked the “Road to Berlin” formal launch of Special Olympics South Africa.

The 2023 Special Olympics South Africa national team will fly out to Berlin, Germany, on June 13 to compete at the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

The national team will compete against 7 000 athletes from 190 nations in what is being heralded as the largest inclusive sporting event in the world.

They will be attempting to repeat the outstanding accomplishments of our 2019 national team, which won 35 gold, 15 silver, and 12 bronze medals while competing in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr Mathews Phosa, chairperson of Special Olympics South Africa, said: “The athletes of Special Olympics South Africa are the biggest medal winners in this country, yet they always receive the least support.

“It is time that we change that narrative, not just in terms of the funding but also in terms of the recognition they receive after successfully representing our country.

“Their achievements are not less because of their disability; they are, in fact, far, far greater! Special Olympics South Africa will once again be relying on corporations and the public at large to ‘Adopt an Athlete’.”

Ancilla Smith, the CEO of Special Olympics South Africa, said: “The costs for each athlete to attend the World Games come to about R40 000 per athlete.”

“The majority of our athletes come from impoverished circumstances, and we make sure that we are able to provide everything that they need to be able to represent our country with pride.

“We provide everything from toiletries and underwear to their official playing kit and equipment.”

The “Adopt an Athlete” initiative has been effective in helping the organisation raise the money needed for the past three World Games, and they are hoping that it will again this year.

Smith continued: “The athletes of Special Olympics South Africa continue to prove that, when given the opportunity, they can and will succeed. They cannot, however, do it without support.

“In previous years, our national team has relied on the public, corporations and the National Lotteries Commission to make their dreams of representing our country a reality.

“This year, again, we will be calling upon all sectors of our society to help us get these athletes up onto the winner’s podiums in Berlin, where they belong.”

Special Olympics has developed a Back a Buddy campaign for people or businesses that are unable to cover the full cost of an athlete’s participation but still want to donate (https://www.backabuddy.co.za/The-Road-toBerlin-2023).

In addition to exhibiting physical prowess and spotlighting stereotype-defying tales, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, transforming minds and opening hearts via transformational inclusion.

The Special Olympics World Games serve as a catalyst for inclusion, creating a long-lasting legacy of better health, opportunities, and education for people around the world who have an intellectual disability.