Special Olympics Singapore

"𝙒𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙨". Watch our Inclusion Manifesto, narrated by Athlete Leader Nyasha Derera from Special Olympics Zimbabwe, then join the #InclusionRevolution here ▶️ specialolympics.org/ActNow. #GlobalWeekOfInclusion

Did you know that the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 was the most inclusive Special Olympics World Games EVER? We saw an increase of 10.7% of female athletes competing. #InclusionRevolution

Here’s a throwback to our amazing athletes from the Asia Pacific region at the Berlin World Games, one year on! Last June, a total of 330,000 spectators memorably celebrated 6,500 incredible Special Olympics athletes globally competing across 26 sports, showing the world that we are #UnbeatableTogether. Let’s continue to keep that spirit alive, championing inclusion in our daily lives! #SpecialOlympics #Berlin2023 #UnbeatableTogether #ChooseToInclude

We wrapped Income Eco Run (IER) 2024 over the weekend. Covid got me and it was a bummer to miss the finale after months of prep. Thankfully, others had better luck. Close to 5,000 participants turned up for the zero waste cause, clocked a total of nearly 60,000km and raised S$60,000 (as we had pledged $1/km) for the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) in support of the SG Green Plan 2030. This was 50% more than 2023. As I nursed my fever in bed, the #fomo was real. It set me wondering about the pysch behind joining a mass run, especially one that supports a cause. A quick research turned out that people run to reduce stress and to improve mood. Running with others gives a sense of belonging and community, a booster to feeling positive. People run for a cause because it gives meaning and a new perspective to their running quest. As we share a positive connection through a common goal, oxytocin is produced to enhance that post-run high. Ethusiasts shared they found it fulfilling to join others in a physical activity that had a genuine purpose. Many had forged lasting friendships as a result. That was the case for me when I trained for the half-marathon some years back. This signals that IER has genuine runway to grow advocacy for zero waste practices and sustainable living. To succeed, we must maintain people’s buy-in to the cause by always improving and genuinely contributing to it. This year, we undertook several unprecedented measures to reduce the event’s environmental impact to demonstrate that even a mass event can shift and support our transition to a low-carbon economy by mindfully making changes. For example, our running bibs for adults were 65% smaller than industry standard, a vast improvement from last year’s 35%. Kids wore bibs made of seed paper which they can grow plants with. We use 100% plastic-free and recyclable cups at hydration points to build awareness about recycling right. We avoided single-use plastic waste by using reusable cutlery at the event and set up washing stations to educate about efficient water use and wastewater management. We were happy when participants run in their own tees and we gave e-certs and not physical medals. We will be offsetting the carbon footprint of IER 2024, and to include for the first time, participants’ commute to the event and the IER tees that were purchased. More like-minded organisations had joined the cause - Special Olympics Singapore, Foopak, Sustainable Office Solutions (SOS), Allianz Global Investors, ALBA E-Waste - not to mention our long-time partners, SEC and Tzu Chi Foundation. I’m excited to grow this ecosystem of partnerships and influence more, young and old, to use this sport to achieve a healthier and sustainable future together, leveraging real-world sustainable changes. I’m already looking forward to a bigger and better IER 2025! #IncomeInsurance #IncomeEcoRun

Special Olympics Asia Pacific Unified Leadership Academy - Leader II just concluded in Singapore. Over the past few days, a dynamic group of leaders from 12 Programs across the Asia Pacific Region reunited for their second consecutive year of Leadership Academy workshop to delve into the crucial topics of leading and influencing others. The interactive workshops, insightful discussions, and hands-on application activities equipped our Special Olympics leaders with the skills and confidence to be even stronger, more impactful drivers of positive change in their communities. The diverse participant pool comprised of Program staff, youth and athlete leaders with and without intellectual disabilities, learned from senior experts on the topics of effective communication, influencing others, mindfulness, mindset and others. We are excited to learn about the impact of these new insights on Special Olympics programming in the Region. A huge thank you to Academy partners, sponsors and supporters whose invaluable contributions were critical to the success of this enriching event. The collaboration and shared passion among the participants and contributors were truly motivating. Here's to leading with purpose and influencing with impact! #Leadership #Influence #ChooseToInclude #UnifiedLeadershipAcademy #SpecialOlympics #Empowerment #LeadershipDevelopment Avery Dennison Aon Bank of America Skillsoft Lions Clubs International Catapult by CapitaLand Caroline Callow Roman Matla Canvass Life Pte Ltd Special Olympics

Throwback to last week when over 40 youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities from 14 countries in Asia Pacific gathered in Singapore for “Youth for Inclusion: Expanding Unified Champion Schools”! This included India (Special Olympics Bharat), Pakistan (Special Olympics Pakistan), Australia (Special Olympics Australia), Indonesia (Special Olympics Indonesia), Thailand, the Philippines (Special Olympics Pilipinas), Papua New Guinea (Special Olympics Papua New Guinea), Fiji, Maldives, Malaysia (Special Olympics Malaysia), Singapore (Special Olympics Singapore), New Zealand (Special Olympics New Zealand), Vietnam and Bhutan. Organized by Special Olympics Asia Pacific, with support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, the event served as a platform for youth leaders, advocates, Special Olympics programs, as well as leaders in the private sector, to brainstorm strategies and pathways that level the playing field for people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) through inclusive education and community engagement.                                                                                The three-day event collectively gathered over 100 participants including speakers and guests from the UAE Embassy, the UNDP, Visa, Medtronic, Bank of America, Hasbro, The Volunteer Switchboard and SpedGrow.   Dipak Natali, President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Asia Pacific, said “We hope the event sparks off inspiration to collectively work towards the ultimate goal of empowering youth of all abilities, by providing them with the skills needed to thrive and work towards a more inclusive future.” #SpecialOlympics #ChooseToInclude #LeaveNoOneBehind #Inclusion #UnbeatableTogether #Change #InclusionRevolution #Empowerment

A wonderful feature of our passionate Athletics (Long Distance) volunteer Aurora Kuang! Her love and joy in giving back to society and supporting our Special athletes is truly inspiring! #InclusionRevolution #ChooseToInclude #volunteer Credits: Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 Special Olympics Asia Pacific

Was invited to share my experience as coach of the Special Olympics Singapore Men’s Unified Football Team at this workshop On a personal level, I am blessed & privileged to be able to experience & share the love of sport in leisure, education, career & community. Sport has brought me to many places, both literally & figuratively, and I have my father to thank for introducing it to me. Whatever I learnt in sport is 100% applicable in what I do each day.

Inclusion in sports serves as a powerful metaphor for workplace diversity. The skillsets needed on the sporting field mirrors the spirit of teamwork and mutual support found in the workplace, where the collective goal is to achieve success through team work and collaboration. Special Olympics Asia Pacific would like to thank the Bank of America’s Disability Action Network (DAN) for the opportunity to speak at the "Beyond Difference" event in Singapore. During the session held both in-person as well as virtually across two Bank of America offices, our president and managing director, Dipak Natali, and athlete leader Hanako Sawayama from Singapore and Bank of America’s Chaitanya Nangia from Hong Kong delivered powerful messages to about 100 staff, highlighting the importance of inclusion in sports and beyond. Their message was clear: everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute and excel, regardless of ability. The event concluded with a message from Martin Sia, Country head and a fireside chat moderated by Bank of America’s Liam Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of International Operations, and Ankur Gupta, DAN Singapore Chapter Committee Head and Director of Asia Pacific Regional Sales and Global Transaction Services. #SpecialOlympics #ChooseToInclude #UnifiedLeadership