BREAKING LIMITS:

NOTHING WILL STOP THEIR SHINE 

“You can’t get a job. You can’t be a leader. You’re no fun.” These are what people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are told all their lives. Their norm is that of exclusion, isolation and low expectations.

 

We have launched Phase Three of #MyNormal Campaign which shows how Special Olympics Asia Pacific athletes have shattered those stereotypes, proving every day that there are no limits.

The earlier phases of #MyNormal focused on educating the public on the issues of isolation faced by people with intellectual disabilities, followed by #1000CranesForInclusion – conceived by youths with and without intellectual disabilities as they share their hope for an inclusive world.

 

This festive season, be a not-so-secret Santa to people with ID. Help more athletes like Brina, Hanako and Haseeb #BreakMyNorm and achieve their dreams by donating a gift to Special Olympics Asia Pacific.

MICROSOFT MEDITATES FOR GOOD

Microsoft held their Learning Day early this month, with a series of internal staff engagement sessions across APAC, one of which was a post-lunch meditation session which came in the form of a step-by-step Origami session helmed by Hanako Sawayama,  Administrative Assistant & Regional Athlete Representative, Special Olympics Asia Pacific.

Hanako also took this as an opportunity to share her journey and advocate for the movement. This activation also led to a generous donation from Microsoft, which will help support the work across the region.

ATHLETES LEARN & LEAD

Special Olympics Bharat held a series of learning sessions to empower athletes to take charge of leading the movement in the areas of sports and communications.

 

A Coach Assistant training, supported by Herbalife Nutrition reached out to 130 athletes, coaches, state area directors and officials with the objective of training the athletes to assume the role of a coach.

 

Prior to the Webinar, every state was advised to identify two coaches and four athletes. They will next advance to a sport-specific training under the guidance of the State Coaches who have been identified to mentor to prepare them to take on the responsibility of guiding fellow athletes.

Ten athletes along with their family members and unified partners from the National Youth Activation Committee were trained in a nine week workshop on ‘Social Communication’. The course equipped them with knowledge of online etiquette, as well as the importance of verbal and non-verbal cues during video conferencing

 

The training included both individual and group interactions to give athletes opportunities to ask questions and receive customized support. Small group interactions also fostered comfort and familiarity between athletes, thus reducing anxieties and facilitating overall communication skills.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE FINALIST FOR

BEST LOCAL SPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR

At the recent Singapore Sports Awards, Special Olympics Singapore was one of the finalists for Play Inclusive, an event they co-organised with SportsCares and the Ministry of Education.

 

Play Inclusive is Singapore’s largest unified sports competition for persons with and without disabilities, and saw more than 700 participants teamed up as unifed teams to train and compete in badminton, basketball, football, floorball and goalball.

This event is part of an initiative where students with and without intellectual disabilities or visual impairment train and play together in unified teams to build friendships through shared sporting experiences.

 

The awards honor the most deserving individuals and teams in sports for the year 2019 and celebrate those who helped shaped the sports scene in Singapore.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS EXPANDS

GALLAGHER PARTNERSHIP

The global partnership between Special Olympics and Gallagher will help grow the sport and coach development programming in five markets around the world, including Special Olympics Australia. This will empower more athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to grow their confidence on and off the playing field.

 

SPECIAL OLYMPICS BHARAT HOLDS VIRTUAL

DANCESPORT COMPETITION

Special Olympics Bharat recently presented 57 awards from a pool of 396 entries received across 21 states in India. The winners were professionally assessed based on their Choreography Execution, Athleticism & Presentation.

“I am delighted to see the scale of participation in the sport, which is a new discipline. Dance activates physical fitness, stimulates creativity and most of all, causes immense joy to the athletes that has been observed across multiple sporting events. With Special Olympics recognizing it as an official sport, it has become an important aspect of Athlete Development. This perhaps could be the best sport to pursue during the lockdown, involving the family members as well. The costumes, the setups at home etc. substantiate the enthusiasm of the families to keep the athletes meaningfully engaged. I wish to express my gratitude to them and to Special Olympics Asia Pacific for supporting us in developing DanceSport and expanding it all over India,” said Mr Satish Pillai, Chairman, SO Bharat.

The competition was held across three dancing categories, namely, Street Dance, Performing Arts & Specialty. The participants were allowed to perform a solo, duo or team routine with a specific duration.

 

Be part of a  virtual forum which will unite people from the sport, mental health and sport for development sectors, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and learnings about the specific mental health challenges affecting young people and how sport and physical activity can be used to address these challenges.

Laureus Sport for Good currently supports over 200 programs in over 40 countries, since 2011, Laureus has worked with individual Special Olympics Programs providing support in multiple regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, East Asia, and Europe Eurasia.

SO RUSSIA WINTER

INVITATIONAL GAMES 2021 REGISTRATION

The SO Connect team is continuing to support Major Games while enhancing the capabilities of SO Connect to support SO Programs. Registration has opened in SO Connect for the Special Olympics Russia Winter Invitational Games. SOI and the LOC are working together to manage the Registration of all Delegations who will be attending the Russia Winter Invitational Games, which is to take place in February 2021 and serve as the Test Games for the World Winter Games 2022.

 

For more information on SO Connect, visit the Technology and Digital Resources Page.