Celebrating a very special group of people
From July 30 to Aug. 5, the eyes of the nation were focused on St. F.X. University in Antigonish as more than 1,500 athletes, coaches and volunteers gathered for the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.
As the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Summer Games brought together athletes with intellectual disabilities from every province and territory in Canada to compete in nine different sports including track and field, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball and swimming.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of observing a sporting competition or attending any Special Olympics event, then you can only imagine the excitement and emotion that swirled around Antigonish for that entire week. That energy was at its height on the evening of Tuesday, July 31, as several thousand people crammed into the Charles V. Keating Centre for the Games’ official opening.
You could feel the energy mounting as the event got underway. The energy in the air that evening was palpable, and I’m not talking about the sweltering heat or the oppressive humidity that hung in the air. No, I’m talking about that special spirit of friendly competition and genuine compassion for each other that emanated from each and every athlete that was in the building.
The electricity was real and the level of excitement was off the charts, but while these athletes gathered for five days of friendly competition, these
Games were about much more than that. These Games were about belonging to an exceptional organization that recognizes these people for what they can accomplish. They are about being included in society and about humanity. When Special Olympians compete, they do so as equals and they support each other like, maybe, no other group of athletes in the world.
It is truly an exceptional opportunity to watch these athletes take to the field, the track or the pool as they truly embrace the Special Olympics athlete’s oath — “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Really, is there any other phrase that exudes more humanity than that? I don’t think so.
As explained in the Games’ official opening ceremonies program, from its humble beginnings with more than 1,000 athletes on Soldier Field in Chicago in 1968, Special Olympics has become a global movement with more than five million athletes from 172 countries around the world.
“Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a vision to take a stand against the injustices faced by people with intellectual disabilities,” the program explains. “Her solution was simple: give people with intellectual disabilities the chance to demonstrate their abilities, determination and value through sport.”
Advanced by the research of Canadian Dr. Frank Hayden (who attended the opening ceremonies), a movement of inclusion was created, one where all are accepted and welcomed no matter the challenges they face. Through these efforts, the Special
Olympics movement was born.
Today, in Canada, there are more than 45,000 athletes and participants across the country.
“As Special Olympics celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we will continue to enrich the lives of individuals with an intellectual disability through the transformative power of sport,” the program says.
What a powerful objective, one that we should attempt to achieve. Just imagine a world where everyone, no matter the colour of his or her skin, race, culture, religion, age, sexual orientation or intellectual ability, was treated as equal.
We can do this, but only if we set aside our biases, prejudices, opinions and superior attitudes. That’s why the Special Olympics’ mantra should resonate because in that organization, no one person is more important than anyone else and no one is considered better or more superior than anyone else.
The philosophy is simple — every human being is equal no matter their differences. I get it that we all have our weaknesses and failings, no one is perfect, but this is a philosophy that we should all strive to emulate.
Again, Special Olympics says it best: “To celebrate this incredible milestone in our movement’s history, we are asking you to help spread our message of inclusion and acceptance … We are ready to show the world the true power of inclusion.”
In the Special Olympics, people are just people, as it should be. We could all learn a valuable lesson from this tremendous organization and from the people it represents, or at least that’s the view from here.
Vernon Oickle was born and raised in Liverpool where he continues to reside with his family. He has worked for more than 30 years in community newspapers on the South Shore and is the author of 28 books.