Special Olympics East Asia

Join us in looking back at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023! 🎉🏅 330,000 spectators celebrated 6,500 incredible Special Olympics athletes competing in 26 sports, showing the world we are #UnbeatableTogether. Let’s keep the spirit alive! 📽 Restless Films #SpecialOlympics

Families, athletes, and staff are invited to join us for a global webinar on family engagement! Hear from our global family leaders as they share family engagement highlights and launch the new family engagement resources. Register today https://lnkd.in/g5AtX24s #ChooseToInclude

Kicking off the week on a positive note by watching the highlights from the 2024 SOEA Youth Leadership Summit, held last month as part of the Unified Leadership Assembly. The event was an inspiring gathering of Special Olympics young leaders, both with and without intellectual disabilities, who came together to learn, collaborate, and develop actionable plans to implement in their communities. It’s incredible to see the energy and dedication of these young leaders as they work towards creating a more inclusive world, supported by a strong and empowering youth network. #InclusionRevolution

A recap of the Athlete Leadership Training, one of the three key events held during the 2024 SOEA Unified Leadership Assembly. Thanks to all the partners and supporters who dedicated their time, energy, and resources to ensure that Special Olympics athletes remain at the heart of our movement, leading the way toward positive change in disability inclusion!

Hosted by Special Olympics East Asia and presented by The Rock Check Group, the 2024 3V3 Basketball Competition was held at a brand new basketball complex affiliated to the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium. From July 18-20, 82 individuals with and without intellectual disabilities were brought together for this exciting three-day event. Speakers at the opening ceremony included Freda Fung, Regional President of SOEA; Peipei Wang, Secretary General of the RockCheck Puji Foundation; Jiahui Zhang, Deputy Director of the Qingdao Sports Center for the Disabled. Haixia Zheng, friend and supporter of Special Olympics, inductee of the Chinese Basketball Hall of Fame, was also invited to the event. Led and supported by coaches and experts, participants from Special Olympics China, Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, 香港特殊奧運會 Special Olympics Hong Kong, Special Olympics Korea, Special Olympics Macau, and Special Olympics Mongolia, composed 8 men’s basketball teams and 4 women’s teams. Haixia Zheng joined in the Special Olympics women's basketball training camp, patiently explaining and demonstrating many moves from chest passes to ground passes and to shooting on the spot. She encouraged every player and applauded them for any progress they had made, which symbolized the spirit of Special Olympics: Always believe in the potential of Special Olympics athletes for continuous improvement!

The 2024 Unified Leadership Assembly, supported by the Ray Lane Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Bank of America, and Bloomberg, brought together approximately 300 individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities for three concurrent events: Youth Leadership Summit, Athlete Leadership Training, and the Virtual Unified Schools Leadership Forum. Keynote speakers at the opening ceremony included Freda Fung, Regional President of SOEA; Sujing Zhao, Chair of the China Council of Lions Club; Amakobe (Caroline) Sande, UNICEF Country Representative to China; Zhijun Yong, Deputy Director of the China Disabled Persons' Federation Sports Department; Yeruult Batbayar, Special Olympics Sargent Shriver Global Messenger; and Yiming Su, Snowboard Olympic Champion and SOEA Regional Ambassador. Participants attended sessions led and supported by experts from Special Olympics, UNICEF, UNDP, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Youth Office, Care for Education, Non-Profit Incubator (NPI), Phoenix New Media Ltd. - ifeng.com, bikablo Global Training, Accessibility Research Association, South China Normal University, and One Plus One Disability Group. Topics covered included Unified Leadership, Inclusive Mindsets and Behaviors, Female Participation, Youth Innovation in Action, Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation, Advocacy, Mental Wellness, and Storytelling. The assembly equipped participants with practical knowledge and skills to implement in their schools and communities. We eagerly anticipate hearing about the positive changes they will bring about.

Wonjae Choi, an athlete from Special Olympics Korea, has faced challenges due to his intellectual disability, leading to misunderstandings and exclusion. However, through his involvement in sports, he has learned the value of unity and empathy and gained a newfound sense of confidence. Celebrate our #GlobalWeekOfInclusion by being part of the change at specialolympics.org/ActNow. Special Olympics East Asia

We're wrapping up our #GlobalWeekofInclusion with a look at Special Olympics East Asia coach Li Xiuming, who talks about what it takes to train young athletes to shine on the ice ⛸️ . Join the #InclusionRevolution here ▶️ specialolympics.org/ActNow.

We recently collaborated with UNICEF China to highlight one of the six Youth Innovation projects we co-selected. This featured project, "Warm Inclusion," is led by Chang Wang, an Special Olympics athlete leader from Yang Ling Zi School in Hangzhou, China. The initiative focuses on providing vocational skills training and job-hunting assistance to promote inclusive employment opportunities. #InclusionRevolution #YouthInnovation #InclusiveWorkplace

Let's celebrate the 18th China's National Special Olympics Day! 🎉 Yesterday, we honored the power of #inclusion, acceptance, and empowerment at the SOEA Regional Unified Leadership Assembly and the Unified Sports experience in Beijing. Inspired by the resilience and spirit of Special Olympics athletes, we strive for a more inclusive world. hashtag #UnifiedLeadership #InclusiveYouthLeadership #AthleteLeadership #InclusionRevolution