Families – parents, caregivers, siblings and other supporters – play an important role in the Special Olympics movement. They promote inclusivity and encourage athletes to grow and believe in themselves. In addition to support, families become actively involved with Special Olympics in many ways: volunteering at events, coaching, participating in local Special Olympics programs, and staying active in local and global programming such as the Special Olympics Global Family Leadership Council (GFLC). Meet Global Council for Family Leadership member Bende Peng. Gang Peng is a proud father who became involved with Special Olympics China over a decade ago and competed in the inaugural GFLC class in 2023.
The mission of the GFLC is to represent, support and serve as the collective voice of families within the Special Olympics movement worldwide, strengthening global family involvement. The GFLC consists of seven committed members, one from each Special Olympics region, with each member serving a three-year term. Since then, Gang Peng has become more committed to mobilizing and uniting families to become active participants in the Special Olympics movement.
This month we share the final part of the global series highlighting the seven members of the GFLC Class 2023 – 2025 and their connection to health. Below, Gang Peng shares his perspective on how his daughter’s growth through participation in the Special Olympics encouraged him to help other families find the same opportunities for connection and involvement.
Gang Peng – Special Olympics China – Older
I’m Peng Gang and the father of a Special Olympics athlete Special Olympic Games China.
In 2024, when my daughter Xinyue graduated from a special education school, my thoughts inevitably went back twelve years. At that time, she was preparing to enroll in elementary school and was diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). For a time, feelings of despair, helplessness, and frustration enveloped our family. I put all my energy into work, escaped the reality of my daughter’s disability, and just wanted to make enough money to support her for a lifetime. Because of this, I never set foot in her school.
In 2015, our daughter transferred to a special education school in Chengdu, Sichuan and began training for the Special Olympics. Shortly afterwards, she won her first gold medal at the Special Olympics in track and field. It was in this moment that I truly understood the changes that were happening in my daughter’s life. She became more polite, her language improved and she learned to follow instructions. Most surprisingly, she started to enjoy presenting and expressing herself. Her transformation moved me deeply, and I entered her school for the first time wanting to understand how these changes were happening to my daughter.
My daughter’s changes initially sparked my interest in understanding how Special Olympics enabled her growth. Coincidentally, I heard from a coach at school about what’s coming up Special Olympic Games East Asia Family Leadership Forum. I asked the school to register for me, but registration was already closed. I was told by the regional office that I could wait for the next opportunity, but I couldn’t wait. I decided to attend at my own expense. Experiencing the Family Leadership Forum firsthand made me fall in love with the Special Olympics, sparking my true commitment to the movement.
When I got home, I was full of excitement. Together with a number of parents from my daughter’s school, we have one Special Olympics Volunteer team. We organized Special Olympics sports activities, raised money for sports equipment and volunteered for local Special Olympics competitions. The following year, I encouraged our parent volunteer team to create a social organization to help support Special Olympics parents.
I longed for more parents to join Special Olympics so that their children could benefit as much as my daughter did. Gradually I started to think more about the future and opportunities for all the children around me, and naturally became the leader of families in my area. The recognition I received from Special Olympics allowed me to become a member of the Special Olympics Global Family Leadership Council in 2023. Over the past ten years, my daughter and I have guided each other in mutual growth.
The beginning of my daughter’s transformation was also the beginning of my own change. Through my daughter’s participation Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®I started to understand her health condition and received health advice. For example, we discovered that her eyesight was deteriorating, which prompted us to teach her to reduce her screen time and spend more time outdoors, along with timely hospital checkups.
Special Olympics has transformed not only my daughter, but our family and our lives. It has shifted our health perspective from ‘passive healthcare’ to ‘active health management’. Healthy Athletes has enabled my wife and me to proactively prevent health problems in our family.
As a whole, Healthy Athletes has ensured that we as parents are no longer alone in dealing with health issues that affect our children and our families; instead, it has gradually embedded a professional, warm and powerful system into our lives, creating a healthcare environment suitable for the disabled. It has freed us from the fear and helplessness we once faced regarding health and medical issues, by empowering me and many other Special Olympics families that “we can do this.” Healthy Athletes focuses not only on our children’s health concerns, but also on the overall quality of life of our entire family, ensuring that we live with dignity. This year, at an annual meeting of a national parent organization for people with IDD in China, I said, “Parents are the most important force in realizing health care services. When health care embraces inclusivity, every life can earn respect in its own way.”
The spirit of acceptance and inclusion within Special Olympics has created a real sense of belonging for families like mine. Through this movement, we have witnessed the growth of our children and experienced respect and equality. To me, Special Olympics stands for inclusivity, courage and hope.
If I could go back ten years, I would say to myself: Take that courageous first step. Cherish every moment. Don’t let hesitation become regret. The journey may not always be easy, but if we press on with love and faith, our deepest hopes will one day become a reality.
The journey with Special Olympics has no end, only new beginnings lie ahead. I hope that in the future, more parents will step into the spotlight, helping our family stories usher in a new era of inclusivity. One day, through our shared perseverance, “you” and “them” will become “us,” inspiring millions of families to build an inclusive future together.
Start your journey or deepen your impact today. Explore Special Olympics Family Engagement resources.
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