SPORT IS THE KEY With Olympic gold medalist Donna de Varona opening the meeting, the message has been clear right away: sport can change the life of any girl for good. And not just for the athletes taking part in the Special Olympics. 

“I have been part of Special Olympics since the very beginning in 1968 – recalls De Varona – I remember when the founder Eunice Kennedy called me for the first time. I had just left the competition and I was looking for a purpose. Special Olympics gave me one. At the same time, I became the first TV anchor in sports in the US. I look around today, see this group of amazing women, and realize how much we have achieved”.

BREAKING BARRIERS Sitting close to Donna was Kiera Byland, former Special Olympic champion and now chair of the Global Athlete Leadership Council, and the perfect poster girl for an organization that has spent its 55 years of existence breaking barriers. 

Still, it took a lot of time to break those barriers. But every year there is an increasing focus on female athletes, greater involvement, and fewer prejudices, which is confirmed by the numbers.

ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN INCLUSION Mary Davis, SO International CEO, confirms the trend: “At these World Games, 48% of the participants are women, which is an excellent statistic. There is still room for change, but I am sure that we are going in the right direction".
 

"This is the most human-inclusive movement – adds De Varona - We have the right role model for the inclusion of women within the Special Olympics, but we have to work harder in those countries where parents don't let their children out to play. We are still facing a lot of prejudices about what women can do and what they can't do, but we represent a showcase for what is possible. Don’t forget, when I was young women could not even play soccer and look what a beautiful movement women have created in soccer. In the US they are also financially equal to men”.

Right marketing choices, promoting female athletes and making investments in women's sports, both on and off the field, it the way to mark new success.

A DREAM COME TRUE Emanuelle Dutra, a former athlete with several medals, shared her touching experience: “I always had a dream, to represent my country. Although the doors are usually closed for people with ID, Special Olympics was there to open that door. After that, many other doors opened for me and girls like me”.

Vania King, Grand Slam tennis champion in double, shares something similar, comparing his life to one of the Williams sisters portrayed in the movie “King Richard”.
 

"For a lot of things in life you have to have money or a name, but not for sport", explained King, who recalls her father – an immigrant – pushing her and her sister into the sport in order to grant her an opportunity in life”. 

“Many girls do not have the opportunity to pursue a sport or build a career, due to lack of support. That's why sponsors are important - adds Emma Zwiebler, Deputy Chair for the Governance and Ethics Committee at the Badminton World Federation.

EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN Kate Jackson, Vice President of Production at ESPN, partner of Special Olympics since 2015, concludes the meeting by reassuring the audience: “Let’s make one thing clear. We need men to achieve integration and equality. We need men supporting us and lobbying for us. And at Special Olympics, we have that. With unity anything is possible”.