Inaugural Special Olympics Day of the European Union: the voices of athletes are heard in the heart of Europe

The first Special Olympics European Union (EU) Day, a flagship event of the European Week of Sportsaw almost 200 athletes, coaches and staff take Brussels by storm when they raised their voices in the European Parliament and the European Commission on September 24 and 25.

Athletes from 26 countries in the European Union (EU) shared their stories and raised concerns at more than 100 meetings with elected representatives and officials in Brussels. Special Olympics delegations had a fruitful, lively and productive dialogue with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, and four EU Commissioners: Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Roxana Mînzatu, Commission Executive Vice-President, Social Rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness, Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, and Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, and many others.

In addition to these bilateral and multilateral dialogues, the athletes engaged in several other events over two days, including the signing of the ‘Focus on the Invisible’ Declaration, a networking reception and the first ever United sports (bocce And table tennis) event on the floor of the European Commission, followed by the first Unified Walk in Brussels between the Commission and Parliament. The European Parliament organized an inclusion debate and closing meeting entitled “A more inclusive Union: Advancing the EU goals through Special Olympic Games”. Finally, because sport has always been at the forefront for the Special Olympics athletes, they led the drawing ceremony for the Unified Volleyball World Cup will take place in Katowice, Poland in early October.

Speaking after the event David Evangelistachairman and general manager of Special Olympics Europe Eurasiasaid: “What an honor it was to welcome athletes from 26 EU Member States to powerfully articulate our vision for the future of Europe with such excellence and passion. It was a privilege to witness the leadership of our athletes in action, delivering moving stories of the impact that European Union support continues to have on our communities and our region. Their lived experience and the transformative power of our movement will make it continue to shape and shape the exciting journey ahead for our growing partnership. with the EU. Thank you to the more than 120 elected representatives and officials of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council who welcomed us with such openness, and to the athletes who advocated so effectively and professionally for their colleagues across Europe.”

Lorenzo Mancino, Special Olympics Italy athlete, highlighted the challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities in conversations with Italian MEPs and in an interview with EU News in Brussels. He said: “Having a disability forces us to make an effort every day… People need to understand our efforts and include us. I graduated and it took a lot of effort; it’s unfair that the school sometimes doesn’t recognize that.” Lorenzo told Members of the European Parliament that Special Olympics organizes sports activities in such a way that no one feels left behind, recognizing the enormous effort that athletes make, but which is not always visible in everyday life.

Rachel Chircop spoke at the ‘Focus on the Invisible’ roundtable Special Olympic Games Malta noted:

Viktor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, stressed the importance of his meeting with Sspecial Romani Olympic Gamesan athlete, Beatrice-Alina, in a post on Facebook. He wrote: “A special moment for me, meeting one of the Romanian champions who won a medal at the Special Olympic Games [World Winter Games] in Turin. Also her message to you: people with disabilities deserve a normal life and are capable of so much more. Thank you Betty for your courage and strength! I am pleased to have been an ambassador and active supporter of Special Olympics for several years now, managing to gain the support of the European Union for large-scale events organized in Europe.”