PEOPLE

A Letter Home: Inside the 2023 Special Olympics World Games

Berlin, 21/06/2023

While in Berlin, Eliana Andreassian, Champion Europe associate, shared her personal experience in a letter to her 22-year-old son.

Ciao Andrea,

My experience here in Berlin with the Special Olympics World Games 2023 has come to an end. I wish you were here! Athletes and volunteers are demonstrating how we can stop talking about inclusion and live it fully.

I’ve walked many kilometers to be able to see the 97 Italian athletes warming up and competing from one field to another. Being here today means not only supporting the right to participate in sport for everyone, but also believing in unity and solidarity.

I just attended an Italy vs USA Unified Volleyball competition and I’m voiceless from all the loud cheering. In Unified Sports, athletes with and without disabilities train and play on the same team. When someone makes a mistake, teammates hug each other, and the audience applauds. If you get close to the baseline you can hear the coach say in a calm and serene voice, “Let’s play as we know. Focus and give your best. The rest doesn’t matter!”

How wonderful this Unified Sport is and how nice it would be to live unified! Without prejudices, without borders, and without barriers.

The spotlight here is on everyone’s potential. It’s not just about competing for a medal (which, not by chance, has an imperfectly perfect shape). Here we play a more important game to demonstrate how, by uniting, we have the possibility of evolving as a community.

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt. This is the Special Olympics Athlete Oath. Everyone knows it by heart.

Does it remind you of anything? It’s similar to what I often tell you: Always try and believe, and if you happen to fail, don’t lose faith in yourself or in others. Learn from the lesson.

I have so many things to tell you and I can’t wait to see you. Shall we go together to the Special Olympics World Games in Turin 2025?

After all, you and I have always been a team…#UnbeatableTogether.

A hug! M.