Special Olympics Team Sports for Raman Mytrasanov in LATVIA (4 July 2008)

My name is Raman Mytrasanov.  I am 18 and I compete in Special Olymics Latvia.  When I was four I realized I was all alone.  I did not have a mum, dad, grandparents, sisters or brothers.  At the children’...

Lady Footballer in MOLDOVA (3 July 2008)

My name is Cristina Culooglo and I am 17 years old. I live in an auxiliary school in Congaz, Moldova.  I am proud that the Special Olympics Moldova football games were held in the region where I live.  I have played football with my team fo...

Athlete in KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Prepares for World Games (2 July 2008)

My name is Jakshylyk kyzy Jazgul. I attend "Rodnichok" center of adaptation in the Kyrgyz Republic.  I love sports and gymnastics in particular: being a gymnast gives me a lot of pleasure. Recently I went to Tashkent for the Central As...

Preparing for the New Season in SERBIA: Wish Me Luck! (2 July 2008)

My name is Slobodan Panajotovic.  I am 19 years old and I have been a member of my local Special Olympics club for three and a half years now.  I live in Pirot in Serbia, and I go to “Mladost” local Special school. My favorite s...

Family Program UZBEKISTAN: Opportunities to Change our Lives for the Better (28 June 2008)

My name is Gulbahor Erkinova.  I am the mother of Shahnoza, a 14 year-old girl with Down Syndrome.  We found out about Special Olympics in the beginning of 2005, through the mother of a pupil in Shanoza's school.  Since then Shahnoza a...

Incredible Feeling of Accomplishment in ARMENIA (26 June 2008)

My name is Arshak Simonyan. I live in Armenia.I was very happy to take part in the athletics event run by Special Olympics Armenia in May 2008.  It was a particularly important event for me, because I had to compete in front of such a ...

I Met Parents through Special Olympics in TAJIKISTAN (25 June 2008)

My name is Nelufar Dadabaeva, I am 16 years old and I live in Tajikistan.  I like sports a lot and I have many friends with whom I run, play football and table tennis.  Special Olympics has brought me a lot.  In 200...

From ESTONIA: Football is Teamwork! (24 June 2008)

Hello, my name is Patrick Arjukes.I have just graduated from Vaeküla School in Estonia.  In June 2008, our school football team participated in a tournament in Lithuania. We did really well and won the tournament. We came home with a huge c...

Communicating With the Ball in LITHUANIA (24 June 2008)

Ceslovas Cizauskas, 12, took up football about two years ago. He attends Kedainiai special school where works Rytis Slezys, football coordinator for Special Olympics Lithuania.  In the begining, Slezys saw that Cisauskas was ...

SLOVAKIA: Unified Sport Helped Me Build Self-confidence (23 June 2008)

My name is Lukáš Sloboda and I am a Special Olympics football player from Slovakia.  I am 19 years old and live in Ladce, a village in the north western part of the country.  I love sports and when I came to Ladce three years ...

Special Olympics Gave me a Chance to Experience Success (23 June 2008)

My name is Mariam Kurdovanidze and I am 17 years old.  I am a Special Olympics athlete and compete in athletics. Since childhood, sports has played an important part in my life. I always followed the lead of my older brother.  He loved...

Athletes in ROMANIA Teaming Up Around Spreadsheets (8 June 2008)

Serban Nicolescu,26, and Raluca Popescu, 45, are both Special Olympics athletes in Romania, in athletics, alpine skiing, bocce and snow shoeing for Serban and bocce for Raluca.When they do not compete, they both work in the Special Olympics Romania h...

Enthusiastic Applause for Global Messenger (30 May 2008)

Special Olympics Global Messenger Patrick Brehmer, 31, from Germany was one of the keynote speakers at the Special Olympics Special Olympics European Football Cup. The Cup was held 2-8 May 2008 in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany and i...

ITALY: Coach-assistant to Be! (29 February 2008)

I could tell you a lot of beautiful things about my life, for example about sports. In 1997 I became a Special Olympics athlete and I am very glad about this. I am a swimmer but I like also practice other sports and compete. During competitions I m...

ITALY: A Cheerful Young Aunt (18 February 2008)

Hello, this is Corinna Passaro, from Cervignano del Friuli in Northern Italy.  I am a 29 cheerful young lady and I love socializing. I live with my parents and my pets Claudia, a cat, and Olga a little dog. I have also two sisters, both of ...

ARMENIA: National Director for a Godfather! (25 January 2008)

The SO Get Into It® seminar held at Special School No. 1 in Armavir, Armenia, in June 2007 was a big success in informing participants about the importance of inclusion. But school principal Lilia Asatryan decided to go one step further in bring...

Reception at the Palace in LUXEMBOURG (15 January 2008)

My name in Cedric, and my team received a silver medal in Unified Basketball at the 2007 World Games in China.  After we returned, everyone in our delegation was invited to the Palace of the Grand Duke.  First we were in a wonderf...

Irish Sports Awards 2007 (22 December 2007)

Last night on December 21, RTE (Irelands National TV station) broadcast the Irish sports award ceremony for 2007, and Team Ireland (the team of athletes from Ireland who competed in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games) wa...

Shanghai on My Mind (20 December 2007)

This October I came back from Shanghai.  I still can't realize all that happened there...  Shanghai was big, high buildings remained lit all night.  I loved visiting the old districts to buy souvenirs.  Chinese peop...

POLAND: Problem Solving On and Off the Field (30 November 2007)

My name is Eliza Patykowska and I’m 24 years old.  I am a person with a learning disability.  I live in Poland in Warsaw.  I have my own flat near my family so we are in contact all the time.  I am a member of a Special Olym...

HUNGARY: Having a Job Allows Me to Buy My Own Uniform (30 November 2007)

My name is Imre Vekasi and I am 34.  I am a Special Olympics athlete but during the week, I am employed as a tailor at Kerisz Ltd. in Szolnok, Hungary.   I compete in athletics, aquatics, cycling and snowshoeing.  I trai...

ROMANIA: From Bocce to Excell Spreadsheets (30 November 2007)

My name is Serban Nicolescu. I am 27, I am from Romania.  Since August 2006, I am a project assistant at Special Olympics Romania.  I work four hours a day, five days a week and I get my own salary.  I joined Special Oly...

A Community of Supporters (26 November 2007)

Dear all,I am happy to get back to AthleteConnect with a new article.I am a former Global Messenger, a Gymnastics athlete and a Gymnastics coach assistant. This year, I was not selected to compete at the World Games, but I still wanted to be a p...

New ALPs Team (21 November 2007)

We are the new Athlete Leadership (ALPs) Team from Connaught, Ireland 2007. We are learning a lot about public speaking and forming and running committees. We are also having alot of fun too. We recently went bowling after one of our meetings. W...

Giving Lin "a Life" (27 October 2007)

Training for the Special Olympics gives Lin "a life." My name is Lin Kornhauser. I was proud to celebrate my 20th birthday at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games where I received two silver medals in the table tennis.  I was b...

Athletes as Volunteers Too! (20 October 2007)

I was one of the five Special Olympics athletes out of 200 volunteers sent by Special Olympics Ireland to the Special Olympics World Summer Games. In Shanghai, I was a media volunteer. I had to collect stories from Irish athletes, their friends and f...

ISRAEL: Special Olympics, A Way of Life (18 October 2007)

"With Special Olympics, it was love at first sight," recalls a family member. Mati Oren, 24, discovered Special Olympics 10 years ago, on occasion of a swimming competition. "Special Olympics is an important part of our lives," ...

CYPRUS: Finding a Job Through Special Olympics (18 October 2007)

Stelios Yiango, 22, is a football player at heart. Since he joined Special Olympics Cyprus football, in five years, he has not missed one training session.After finishing school, he tried to work as a carpenter with his father, but soon he wanted to ...

Athlete and Fashion Artist from BELARUS (18 October 2007)

Hrynberh Tatiana, 41, is from Minsk, Belarus. Sport was in her life from the age of three. The most popular types of sport is winter – country skiing and skating. Tatiana started training in Special Olympics sports. Today she is on the Athletic...

Well Done Everyone! (17 October 2007)

Hi Everybody, Catriona here - your Europe Euraisa Athlete Representative. I hope everybody is well. I would like to congratulate all the Europe/Eurasia athletes who took part in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. We are all very proud of y...

Young Gymnast Captures Her Audience (17 October 2007)

Kathlyn Garbin from Special Olympics Norway, 14 is one of 36% Special Olympics athletes aged 8-15. Despite her young age; she has a solid experience, training three times a week with Special Olympics, and competing in the open class with good result...

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: Creating a Family (16 October 2007)

Skhanov and Gubina met each others at a Special Olympics European Football Week competition two years ago. Since then, they have become boyfriend and girlfriend. At the World Games, he competed in Judo and she took part in Badminton competitions. Aft...

CZECH REPUBLIC: Athlete, Musician AND Singer! (16 October 2007)

It's not work all the time for team Czech Republic!  On their delegation to the World Games was Vaclav Dolejs, a member of Special Olympics Czech Republic unified volleyball team.  Not only is Dolejs an excellent volleyball player; he is al...

GREECE: Experience, Participate, Enjoy! (11 October 2007)

What do the World Games mean to the Greek volleyball team? “Experience. Participation. Enjoyment.” After taking the gold medal in the 2003 World Games in Dublin, Ireland, the players still keep in touch with opposing team members via e-ma...

Representing HUNGARY at World Games (11 October 2007)

Their passion?!  Football... Istvan Gorcski, 34, works at a local workshop for people with intellectual disabilities, Endre Kiraly, 38, is a physiotherapist. "I love watching it as well as playing it: running after the ball, dribbling and e...

AZERBAIJAN Flip Back for Victory! (11 October 2007)

Football player Ilham Israfilov from Azerbaijan does a flip back to celebrate his team's victory of Special Olympics Germany during 7-a-side football finals on October 10.Photo: Miranda Harple www.specialolympicslive.org...

AUSTRIA: Sports Is Great to Release Emotions (11 October 2007)

Marx Joseph, 20, is captain of Special Olympics Austria team handball.  “I keep things bottled up inside. Sport is a way to release those emotions and aggression in a positive way. Happiness is the end result,” he said. Marx liv...

Giving My Very Best Gymnastics Skills (10 October 2007)

Emile Van Hove and his coach and mother Marie-Paule have trained hard to get ready for World Games. And finally, the Shanghai International Gymnastics Center became their second home for a couple of days. Van Hove was fully concentrated for prelimina...

Initiation to Dragon Dancing for SWITZERLAND (10 October 2007)

As part of the Host Town Program, the delegation of Special Olympics Switzerland was invited to visit a special school for children aged 8 to 12.  School children had prepared a dragon dance for them.Later, the children invited Special Olympics ...

ISRAEL Swimmer: Born to Swim! (9 October 2007)

The sea has always been important to Guy's family.  His great grandmother and his grandfather were talented swimmers already, and his father still is!  As a five month old baby, Guy was introduced to the water in swimming pools. &...

NETHERLANDS: Dreams of Gymnastics Medals... (9 October 2007)

Hello everyone!This is Kim from the Netherlands, I am excited about being here in Shanghai !! Here is a little bit about myself:Name: Kim OostdijkAge: 15 years oldResidence: I live in Zwolle with my father and mother, my sister Anne and my broth...

KOSOVO: I Now Have a Passport! (8 October 2007)

"My name is Arta Avdyli, I am 17 and come from Kosovo.  Before I could not play with friends in my village.  People were laughing at me and were teasing.  One year ago I joined Special Olympics.  I am a short track runner and...

Team Captain in GERMANY: Team Spirit is What I Am Really Good At (8 October 2007)

Nicola Brings, 22, is from Moenchengladbach in Germany.  Motivated by her father, she started playing football at the age of 8.  "Football has always played a major part in my life;  When I see a football I want to kick it, I...

Greetings from Shanghai (1 October 2007)

Dear all,here are some greetings from Special Olympics Global Messengers Ioana from Romania and Patrick from Germany.  Please see our picture attached in front ofour hotel in Shanghai.Yesterday we joined the ceremony to celebrate ...

Visit us on www.specialolympicslive.org! (30 September 2007)

Students from five Universities (Univerisity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Fudan University, Eastern China Normal University, Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai University) will be covering each athlete competiting in the 2007...

Athlete as World Games Media Volunteer (10 September 2007)

Hi all!I was selected to be Media Volunteer in Shanghai, China during the 2007 Special Olympics World Games.  My mentor, Sarah, and I will be helping reporters contact the athletes and interview them.  We will be going around all sport...

Invited by UEFA to an Exhibition on Football! (5 September 2007)

Hello,  My name is Maarten Stieners and I play football in Maaseik, Belgium. On Friday the 24th of August I went to a football exhibition in Brussels together with my teammates. With our team, we are going to the World Games in Shanghai, an...

Athletes Launch their Own Website! (27 July 2007)

I am delighted AthleteConnect are back! I missed going on the website when you were off. I am going to Shanghai as an athlete Volunteer for the world games and I am very excited about that. I will be working with the Irish media there I have bee...

Celebrating the International Child's Day in ROMANIA (10 July 2007)

On May 9th, which is the European Day, I was invited to speak at Oreada County Library, along with a University professor and people from the Information Bureau on Europe (a committee of Oradea City Local Council).  I spoke about Special Olympic...

Being a GLOBAL MESSENGER (5 July 2007)

Dear all, I hope you are doing well!Last week I took part in a reception at the Chinese embassy in Berlin, Germany.  There I gave a good speech about World Games and the Special Olympics oath. During my speech people applaused two or three ...

AthleteConnect: Ideas for Your Program (26 June 2007)

More than 2,800 athletes from Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia region will be going to the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China.  This is a unique opportunity to make new connections between Special Olympics athletes and their loc...

Athlete Ambassador Cheers World Games Delegations (13 June 2007)

Dear athletes, coaches and families, Congratulations for your nomination for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China!I wish you every success and hope that you will reach your goals. But please remember our oath all the time and do...

CZECH REPUBLIC: Self-Advocacy in Action (29 May 2007)

By Marcela KlicperovaDear Ladies and Gentleman!I just returned from the Congress of Inclusion Europe called “Europe in Action” where we discussed self advocacy and supported decision making.I do not like when people helps me with wor...

Welcome to Athletes and Partners! (28 May 2007)

 This website is to keep in touch with athletes and partners and hear from you, your families and your communities.It is important for us athletes to also have access to the internet, so use this website!  Let us know your success and chall...

Turning 12 years old in Shanghai! (23 July 2008)

Angélina Accili, 11, will compete in Aquatics at the Special Olympics World Summer Games as the youngest athlete of the French Delegation in October 2007.  She will turn 12 during Opening Ceremonies on October 1 and is looking forward to ...