Using sport to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disabilities

Alma Loken is a five-year-old Special Olympics athlete. She was diagnosed with the genetic disorder Williams Syndrome when she was born but that hasn’t stopped Alma from reaching her full potential.

“When I first met Alma, she was using a walker and she was walking on her knees when she could,” said Josh Budish, Coach/Manager, School & Youth Programs, Special Olympics Ontario.
“She had braces on her legs and every time I saw her she would use the walker less and less and now she is running around and I cannot keep up with her.”

Today Alma can walk independently and she can also run, skip and hop all things she couldn’t do before joining Special Olympics’ Active Start Program for children with intellectual disabilities aged two to six.

“Physical activity is critical for everybody, doesn’t matter whether you have an intellectual disability or not right?,” said Chris Loken, Alma’s dad. “ Physical activity is really critical for people’s health.”

The opportunity to live life to the fullest both on and off the playing field builds confidence to take on any challenge in sport and in life. And for 50-years, Special Olympics has provided this opportunity to its athletes.

“I think when people think Special Olympics they maybe think we’re a one-time event,” said Sharon Bollenbach, CEO, Special Olympics. “They think we’re probably for older athletes who are very accomplished and high performance athletes at an event, but in fact, we’re 45-thousand athletes registered in Canada and we have athletes as young as Alma.”

This month Special Olympics around the world is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. In Canada they’re making the milestone through daily, year-round sport programs.- using sport as the catalyst to enrich lives.

“Every day of the week in communities big and small across Canada you can find a curling program, a soccer program, a figure skating program, a swim program,” said Bollenbach. “We have 18 different sports and that’s where athletes start, that’s their engagement.”

“It’s not just about standing on top of a podium,” said Budish. “ It’s also about being part of something and being welcomed somewhere and being around people that want to be around you.”