This is a first-person story from Sammy, an athlete with Special Olympics Kenya, who has been involved with the organization since 2018. A dedicated cyclist and 100m runner, Sammy shares what it means to be an Athlete Leader and how joining a Unified Champion School transformed his life and his impact on others.
Growing up in a family of 12, I was the only one with an intellectual disability. School was a struggle for me; I ended up repeating grades three times because no one understood why I couldn’t keep up. It was heartbreaking. Imagine standing in front of 80 classmates, getting caned in front of them for every low mark. If I scored one point, I’d get one strike. If it was 20, I’d get 20.
"Why am I even going to school? Why does it matter if it brings nothing but pain?"
Every day, I’d go home with marks on my hands and body from those canings. I kept asking myself, "Why am I even going to school? Why does it matter if it brings nothing but pain?" I started to believe something was wrong with me. I felt worthless, like I didn’t belong. I became withdrawn, angry, and even started hurting myself, wondering why I couldn’t read like others.
Eventually, my family took me to a new school, one that focused on students with special needs. That school changed my life. I was introduced to Special Olympics and that is where I found freedom there—a sense of belonging and support that I’d never felt before. Through sports, I found my confidence. I went from questioning my worth to competing in sports and winning championships. Sports taught me resilience and showed me I had strengths that went beyond academics.
Today, as an athlete leader with Special Olympics, I am the Chair of the SOA Regional Athlete Leadership Council (RALC) and sit on the Research Collaborative Committee for the Education and Youth Development department. I get to use my voice to advocate for inclusion. I know firsthand the difference it makes when we stop judging people by grades alone and start listening to what they have to say. We need to break the cycle. When you give someone a chance, even if they struggle with reading, you might find that they speak to your heart in ways you never expected.
My hope is that we can create real change, that governments and communities will help students in lower-income areas go to school without fear. We need teachers who mentor, who guide students to see that there’s more to success than just academics. It’s time for a system where every student can thrive.
