Athlete leaders rally for a historic regional athletes’ conference

Talk a little bit to the athlete leaders who go to the Special Olympics North America Athletes Congress in Michigan, and you’ll find they have some things in common.

They are excited and a little nervous.

They have leadership experience and are focused on gaining valuable knowledge from the event.

And they take their role at the SONA Athlete Congress very seriously.

“The Congress gives athlete leaders the opportunity to create change – to help Special Olympics become more athlete-led. We are moving in that direction one step at a time, and this is another step forward,” said Jordan Schubert by Pennsylvania Special Olympics.

“Congress gives us a voice,” said Drexel Joseph, athletic director at Special Olympic Games Trinidad and Tobago. “People with disabilities often rely on teachers or parents to speak for them. Congress lets us communicate with people like us and speak for ourselves.”

The start of something great
When the 26 delegates of the SONA Athlete Congress arrive in Grand Rapids in early March, they will face an exciting week of training, discussion, ideation, decision-making, campaigning and voting.

“We, as athletes, are the future of the Special Olympics movement. We have the right to have a say in the direction it goes,” says athlete leader Austin Stine by Kentucky Special Olympics.

“Our athletes know that leadership is about speaking up, being heard and helping to make things better,” said Cristina Rodriquez, director of Global Leadership Development for Special Olympics. “When athletes are part of the conversation, it creates a sense of belonging: ‘This is my organization and my voice matters.'”

“We are incredibly proud of the work this group of athlete leaders has already done to make our region’s first-ever Athletes Congress a success,” said Greg EppersonSONA President and Regional General Manager. “Thanks to their efforts and the support of Bank of America, this is one of our best opportunities to seismically change an organization for people with intellectual disabilities to an organization that isledby them.”

“Someone told me that this conference is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – that we are actually making history,” said Karen Kerr, an Athlete Leader at Indiana Special Olympics. “At first it felt like a lot of pressure to hear that. But I also felt honored to have the opportunity and be part of something meaningful.”

“This is not just about athletes sharing opinions. The issues athletes raise at the regional conferences will determine the priorities for the region Global Congress of Athletes and help inform Special Olympics’ future plans,” Rodriquez notes. “It doesn’t happen every year that athletes from all regions come together and share their vision – and that input is important.”

In interviews, many SONA Athlete Congress delegates acknowledge that Special Olympics has brought more athletes into leadership positions, but at the same time they see much room for improvement.

“We’ve definitely come a long way, but we didn’t have that before Athlete leadershipBut now we have Athlete Leadership,” said Ben Fields, an Athlete Leader with Special Olympics Oregon. “But I don’t think we’ll really be athlete-led until we have more influence in the day-to-day operations.”

Two categories of delegates at the SONA Athlete Congress
The 26 athlete leaders heading to the SONA Athlete Congress consist of two groups. Fifteen are members of the Athlete Leadership Councils of Canadathe Caribbean and the United States. These athlete leaders are eligible to advance to the 2027 Global Athlete Congress and represent the Special Olympics North America Region.

Billy Silk, an athlete leader of Special Olympic Games New Yorkis one of the delegates eligible to advance to the GAC in Chile.

“The conference provides a platform for sharing best practices, discussing new initiatives and promoting collaboration among various Special Olympics programs,” said Seide. “It’s an opportunity to share ideas across departments and other athlete leaders to figure out how we can change the world.”

An additional 11 Athlete Leaders were chosen through a competitive process to participate, but are not eligible to continue. Instead, these non-progressive athlete leaders will plan, organize, manage and lead projects in their home programs.

Anita Griffin from Massachusetts Special Olympics is not eligible to advance to Chile, but she was brimming with excitement as she discussed what she could learn in Grand Rapids.

“I can bring what’s happening in Massachusetts and share it. We have athletes doing media, public speaking and fundraising. Congress lets us work on projects that we can bring back, spread stories and push for the changes we care about. When athletes have a voice in policy, other athletes become more open about what they want to see.”

While the issues facing SONA athlete leaders vary from place to place, the common theme is the enthusiasm to tackle issues close to home and on a global level.

“I am focused on making Special Olympics stronger for everyone across the board,” said Travis Stuckart, an advancing Athlete Leader of Wisconsin Special Olympics.

“Even when people have disagreements, everyone can be open to ideas – and maybe together we can brew something really good and create a better place for everyone in the Special Olympics movement.”