The following is an excerpt from the article titled Special Olympics: Sharing Sports Experience published by Monitor Uganda Edition.
Trying to provide opportunities to a larger population of children, Special Olympics Uganda holds national games. They are aimed at promoting acceptance, respect and dignity for all. “Inclusion means different things to many people but for us at Special Olympics, it is about engaging individuals of all abilities,” Bamwidhukire said.
The games showcase the power and joy of sports. In Gulu, more than 200 athletes and 50 volunteers gathered at St Joseph’s College Layibi to compete in five sports; unified football, athletics, basketball, swimming and volleyball. The event takes place only once every year.
Michelle Angels was a volunteer from Germany overseeing swimming. Angels was directly contributing to the success of the national games, giving stage to the limitless talents of young people with intellectual disabilities while promoting the barrier-breaking power of sport to promote inclusion and acceptance.
“It is really important to include everyone in sports activities. It gives an opportunity to have a feeling of being together with a group. Being in Special Olympics gives a nice conclusion to my internship in Uganda,” Angels said.
“What I am taking home is that being together in a team makes you feel good about yourself and other people. It is really fun and I think I will never forget this experience.”
