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Nyasha Derera

Nyasha Derera

Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger and Chair of the Global Athlete Congress, Special Olympics International

Nyasha Derera holds several leadership roles within Special Olympics. At the 2018 Global Athlete Congress in the Dominican Republic, his fellow athletes elected him Chairperson of the Congress. As Chair of the Global Athlete Congress, he serves on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. He is also a Global Health Messenger, advocating for health by teaching healthy habits and everyday fitness.

At an early age, Derera was labeled “crazy” and placed in special classes where he was isolated without friends. He was self-motivated to train in athletics and decided to join his school’s team. He did not perform well the first time he competed and was called “useless” by the other students. This made him train even harder leading him to win his next race.

In 2012, Derera joined Special Olympics when it was introduced at his school. Joining Special Olympics gave him the confidence to become a school leader. He began his leadership role by sharing his inspirational story with younger students. As a result, he has become a motivational speaker spreading messages of hope, inclusion, and goal setting.

As a Special Olympics Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger (SSIGM), Derera hopes to become a voice for the voiceless. He believes that because he faced many challenges in life and went on to achieve many successes, he can use this opportunity to inspire others. His dream is to attend a university where he can obtain a degree that will allow him to make a difference in people’s lives.

In these recent years, Derera has emerged as a sought-after speaker, sharing inspirational messages around the world. In his first year as a SSIGM, he delivered speeches and presentations on four continents.

In addition to being a leader within the Special Olympics, Derera is an accomplished short and longdistance runner. In Zimbabwe, he holds an impressive record of 17 gold medals, 6 silver medals, 1 bronze medal and numerous certificates.

He volunteers at schools in his community providing competitive readiness training on how to become an effective athlete and student.

He is currently studying for an Executive Diploma in Sports Management with the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. He is a Transformational Public Speaker, Team building and Fitness Coach.

Special Olympics Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion

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