Dear Friends,

My son has recently begun to read ‘A Little History of the World' by E.H. Gombrecht – this short book for children charts defining moments from across the globe; moments that change the world. I remember reading this book myself several years ago (as an adult) and being amazed by the resilience of humanity in face of significant challenges – and alongside that – how each challenge has redefined people, our values, our behaviours and our prosperity. For me, COVID-19 depicts another of those defining challenges and our response again has needed to be resilient and there has certainly been a need for each and every one of us to redefine ourselves in some way.

In the end, it is what we do during trying times such as these that help us take stock of our priorities, expose our vulnerabilities and offer us new life lessons. At Special Olympics, we have looked far and wide for inspiration and guidance through this uncharted territory and we have found our teachers have been none other than the athletes that we serve.

First, the lesson of “Don’t stand still”. It is only when we are determined to break free of our limitations, will we exercise our creativity. Athletes were getting creative while staying active during lockdown and finding some laughter in tough times. From there it grew, the region rallied to keep the movement going in ways unimaginable before-Covid, spearheading virtual competitions, leading wellness sessions like Yoga and even Zumba sessions with partners, crowd-created a Special Olympics Unified Ball mosaic,  and even premiered a music video with now over 1.4 million views on Youtube. We even changed the way we planned and strategized with regional webinars as well as our first ever regional leadership conference. This has shown the agility of the movement, as we change the way we connect with one another, deliver our work and ensure continued impact even during crisis.

Next, the lesson of “Keeping it Real”. Our athletes personify authenticity,  keeping true to themselves and others. As kids we are often taught that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. We managed our fears to seem brave. We hide our joy so we will not be disappointed if our next victory isn’t as splendid. As leaders many of us have likewise been coached to hide our struggles and to present a veneer of perfection. This façade however, is easily shaken. To go far, being authentic matters. It reminds us to lead with purpose, to build trust within the team, leveraging on strengths while overcoming blind spots.

And finally the most important lesson of all - “Gratitude sparks Joy”. One thing that this movement has in abundance of is the countless appreciation and respect everyone has for one another. Between parent and child, student and mentor, athlete and coach, between programs, unified pairs and even between athletes. It is evident in the stories, on social media, in our correspondences, every webinar and call – on every occasion and every platform, you will see instances of people openly expressing their sincere thanks. Often, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and appreciation helps us bring out the best in ourselves and others.  

Yes, it has been a tough year, but I am thankful for these life lessons, imparted to us by a group of special people, marginalised by society and dismissed by many – which will serve to keep us on course, to create an inclusive world for all.

May we continue to change the game and we hope you enjoy the read.

Yours Sincerely,

Dipak Natali
President & Managing Director
Special Olympics Asia Pacific

SOAP CELEBRATES IDPD WITH MACQUARIE

To celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 3 December, Macquarie invited Special Olympics Asia Pacific to an interactive discussion helmed by Dipak Natali, Regional President & Managing Director, together with Hanako Sawayama, Administrative Assistant & Regional Athlete Representative, SOAP; Ben Haack, Athlete Representative, International Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, Special Olympics International; and Haseeb Abbasi, Business Owner, Squeezy The Juice, Special Olympics Athlete Leader and Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger (SSIGM).

They shared their personal stories on their experiences and involvement in the movement, what it means to live with a disability and also took the opportunity to raise awareness, challenge perceptions, educate others and normalise disability in everyday life. 

The session was attended and well-received by over 220 staff across Asia Pacific.

Here are the responses shared by the participants on the session:

“As a parent with a toddler with special needs, this struck a cord with me on a very personal level. Giving hope and providing a platform for all individuals to have the best chance to excel is so important. The stories really show just what a difference inclusion can make. Truly inspiring. We should continue to raise awareness - Thank you for this session.”

“ This is so awesome - reminds you about the power of hope, effort and commitment. These sessions are great reminders for us of the power of the human spirit especially in challenging times.”

“Amazing story, Hanako! really inspiring!”

“Ben - "start in your community". This makes perfect sense to me. How many moments of finding inclusion occur after intense periods of exclusion such as bullying. How do we make Inclusion the community 'default' from the very beginning.

“Haseeb - "Everyone has the right to be appreciated". Brilliant.”

BRINA MAXINO - BEING THE VOICE

OF PEOPLE WITH ID

Athlete Leader, Brina Maxino, Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger (SSIGM) was recently featured on CNN sharing her views on why students with disabilities must be included in education, especially during distanced learning.

 "I wonder how many children with disabilities are not fulfilling their potential because someone once said they couldn't. We can be more -- and do more. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

As one of the ambassadors for Colgate Philippines #SmileStrong campaign, her feature video was also launched on IDPD.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE ATHLETES BOND WITH BEST BUDDIES

Special Olympics Singapore (SOSG) together with volunteers and youth leaders from Best Buddies NUS held its first team bonding activity. Nine teams of athletes from the Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) bonded over an Amazing Race activity held at the Botanic Garden and navigated the park to complete assigned missions with guidance from Youth leaders.

In light of the pandemic and the safe distancing measures, SOSG has brought its flagship annual flag day online to engage their athletes, family and volunteers to reach out to the public and share more about the movement.

SOSG is also recruiting young athletes ages 8 - 12 for its Unified Learn To Play Football Junior Program 2021. Closing date for registration is 25 Dec 2020.

Special Olympics Victoria held a virtual challenge from 23 November to 6 December across seven sporting categories to encourage athletes to keep fit at home. The event was supported by National Australia Bank (NAB), Gallagher Australia and the Law Enforcement Touch Run, Victoria, Australia.

Participants could take part in the challenge at their own pace and to repeat activities on different days to try and beat their own score. They were also encouraged to share their results to receive an exclusive Virtual Challenge kit including a limited edition hat, water bottle, sweatband and certificate.

BEN HAACK SHARES ADVICE ON

INCLUSIVITY IN SPORTS

Special Olympics, United Through Sports, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have come together for the first-ever United Through Sports Virtual Youth Festival.

Ben Haack, Athlete Representative, International Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, Special Olympics International was a panellist at the event and shared his thoughts on how to promote inclusivity in sports.

He began by reminding that there is a need is to focus on the local level, where mainstream clubs should partner with organisations like Special Olympics as educators, to educate members, coaches and volunteers for a better understanding of how to include people with disabilities across both large and small scale events.

He hopes that people can recognize that Inclusion should not just be a feel good, inspirational story, but to consider that it can be a key to sustaining a sport, by expanding its membership base to get more people involved.

Ben advises that sporting groups look beyond just catering to the elites, a certain demographic or to be driven by trophies, as it risks them turning people like potential players, volunteers and fans away.

He ends with a reminder for society and sporting groups to view people with disabilities as a base, and invites them to get involve with organisations like Special Olympics, “You will learn is that we can do things, we can be involved, we can contribute.”

What he has learnt in his involvement in both mainstream sports in Special Olympics is that there is very little difference - in terms of attitude the level of competiveness and the desire for the sport.

DANCE ALONG WITH

YOUNG ATHLETES IN MOTION

In celebration of UN World Children’s Day, Special Olympics and Hip Hop Public Health launched a Young Athletes in Motion music video featuring Young Athletes and their families, from around the world including Asia Pacific, dancing and moving through a variety of standardized warm-up activities to encourage them to stay physically active and healthy through dance.

Special Olympics Young Athletes is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), ages 2 to 7 years old.

Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver shared with Business Insider on why developing inclusive mindsets is a necessity.  

"The elements of an 'inclusive mindset' are a framework not just to educate children more effectively but also to reduce the scourges of injustice and intolerance that are so prevalent in our country today. For young people, learning and modelling inclusive mindsets can be a central strategy for reducing bullying, promoting an inclusive culture, and aiding the development of a more welcoming and just community for all."

Following the launch of the new Athlete Leadership curriculum earlier this year, SOAP piloted a 3-part series of Virtual Athlete Leadership Workshops with the Regional Athlete Input Council members and mentors based on the 2 core modules of SOI's AL curriculum, 'Introduction to Athlete Leadership and Understanding Leadership'.

From the sessions, SOAP has customised an Athlete Leadership Resource Package for the region based on the feedback of the participants.

The package includes the following:

1. Regional Athlete Leadership Virtual Workshop Resources
2. SOI Athlete Leadership Curriculum Resources
3. SO Branding Materials