2017 Annual Report: Special Olympics Latin America Region
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT SPECIAL OLYMPICS LatIN AMERICA TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Mission 4 Message from an Athlete Leader 5 Message from the Regional President 6 Our Impact in 2017 8 Sports Sports Partnerships Unified Sports Young Athletes 12 Health Inclusive Health Healthy Athletes & Healthy Communities 14 Education & Youth Engagement 16 Government & Community Engagement 20 Leadership Athlete Leadership MISSION Regional Athlete Leaders Congress Capacity Building Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic 24 Games & Competitions competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to III Special Olympics Latin American Games 2017 develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and 28 Volunteer Activity Annual participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, Report 29 Our Founder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver 2016 other Special Olympics athletes and the community. 30 Regional Partnerships 3 MESSAGE FROM AN ATHLETE LEADER My name is Julio César Barrera. I’m 29, and a Special Since its foundation in 1968, Special Olympics has built its MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT Olympics athlete, as well as an Athlete Leader. But before reputation through the results of concrete actions, including Special Olympics, I was very different. You can’t see my empowering athletes through sports and providing a safe, Inclusion means disability with just a glance. It was hidden, and you would fertile ground for them to blossom, physically, mentally and To shape our think this made life easier, but it didn’t. Living a lie is a emotionally. And in those years, the athletes have shown us burden. There are already enough obstacles in life to add the true meaning of strength, resilience and dedication. two stories your own. TOMORROW, we Now, on the verge of our 50th anniversary, our focus will becoming one Obstacles abound. Not only in Panama, but in all of Latin shift outward, into the world the athletes live in outside need a revolution America, the employment rates for those with disabilities the playing field. A world that we will reshape, through are too low. As a Special Olympics Athlete Leader, and a awareness, public policies and initiatives. A world where representative for the Latin American region, part of my athletes are not merely accepted, but included in each TODAY responsibility is having these discussions and fighting for aspect of society: education, healthcare, workforce and greater inclusion, in society and the workforce. community leadership. We will achieve this by aligning and reinforcing our objectives to global efforts, such as the When I got my current job at an airline, I could not believe United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). it. Later, after the interview, training and selection process was over, I asked the person who hired me why they chose Our mission has not changed; we still seek to provide sports me, among all other applicants, some highly qualified. And training and athletic competition to people with intellectual she said ‘Honestly, I chose you because I saw your drive and disabilities, so they can develop their physical fitness, desire for growth. I saw discipline. And I saw all you could therefore empowering them to take agency over their lives teach us, and we are still learning from you.’ and growth. Rather, our mission has evolved. In 2017, Latin American athletes competed in global and regional events That’s why I can personally tell you how important Special in larger numbers than ever before. Parallel events gained Olympics is in the lives of the athletes. It is not just a greater importance and renown, with Athlete Leadership, foundation, not just a program—it’s a school, teaching Healthy Athletes and community-building events becoming values, discipline and independence, inspiring me to be a core, necessary components of our inclusion, awareness and better person and lead by example. And through Unified empowerment efforts. Our strategic alliances increased in Sports, it showed me the life-changing power of inclusion, scope and reach, no longer limited to a local or even regional for those with and without intellectual disabilities. We can focus. no longer think that way, about things being separate. ‘Choose to include’ means that to me: two individual stories We are proud of what we have accomplished, regionally becoming one, and that will become the pillar of our joint and globally. But there´s always more work to be done; future. it is time to replace the thorny weeds of segregation and isolation with the seeds of inclusion. With your help and the I ask that you let me learn from you, and try to learn from unshakeable determination of our athletes, we will build a me. Don’t focus on the sadness of my story, but be inspired more inclusive, unified society. by our shared drive and determination. Join our inclusion revolution so that we can shape our world, together. Be a part of that. Join our revolution. Julio César Barrera Claudia Echeverry Panamá City, Panamá Regional President and Managing Director Annual Report Special Olympics Latin America 2017 4 5 ATHLETES COMPETITIONS 2017 REGION 360,166 6,707 UNIFIED PARTNERS VOLUNTEERS UNIFIED 20,373 2,327 64,058 REACH REPORT TOTAL YOUTH 380,539 FEMALE 21,399 35.8% TOTAL ATHLETE SUMMARY GENDER MALE 2017 18 COMPETITIONS / DAY 64.2% UNIFIED COACH TO ATHLETES PARTNERS 20K 360K 1 COMPETITION / HOUR COACHES ATHLETES SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2011 RATIO 1K 299K 28,303 1:13 200 6 LATIN AMERICA 2K 243K 2002 REGIONAL FOOTPRINT 745 101K 16-21 years 22+ years NATIONAL PROGRAMS 33.8% 27.0% YOUTH LEADERSHIP HEALTH PROGRAM 20 YOUTH LEADERS (AGE 8-25) HEALTHY ATHLETES CLINICS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ATHLETE RECOGNIZED PROGRAMS COUNTRIES 2,187 AGE 175 PROGRAMS IN PROGRESS ATHLETE SCREENINGS 20 2 7 2016-2017 CHANGE 8-15 years 2-7 years 23,233 +18.5% 33.9% 5.4% HEALTH VOLUNTEERS +342 7,669 ATHLETE LEADERSHIP COUNTRIES OFFERING SWIMMING HEALTHY ATHLETES ATHLETE LEADERS 2016-2017 CHANGE 11% ATHLETICS FAMILY LEADERSHIP 42% -28.63% 2016-2017 CHANGE 13 2,553 BOCCE TOP -1,024 FAMILY LEADERS -38.1% 3% SPORTS UNIFIED SPORTS 2,134 -1,313 VOLLEYBALL TOTAL TEAMMATES 2016-2017 CHANGE FOOTBALL 3% (SOCCER) +13.7% S REGISTERED BASKETBALL 21% 47,142 FAMILY MEMBER UNIFIED ATHLETES +5,671 4% 26,769 88,382 UNIFIED PARTNERS 20,373 PROGRAM LEADERS TOTAL YOUTH TEAMMATES PROGRAMS WITH PAID LEADERSHIP AGE 8-25 2016-2017 CHANGE 21,008 +41.5% 14 +6,159 STAFF WITH ID UNIFIED ATHLETES Annual PAID STAFF WITH UNPAID STAFF WITH Report YOUNG ATHLETES 11,584 INTELLECTUAL INTELLECTUAL 2017 UNIFIED PARTNERS DISABILITIES DISABILITIES 6 9,424 15,316 21 153 7 Sports Partnerships Sports partnerships between Special Olympics Latin America and regional sports federations strengthen inclusion efforts and increase competition opportunities for “I never imagined being a referee for so many famous players” people with intellectual disabilities. Hassam Zogaib, Athlete Leader from Special Olympics Paraguay, These partnerships serve our was appointed lead referee for the South American Football Confederation’s (CONMEBOL) ‘Tournament of the Stars’. athletes and our cause by providing training and certification for coaches, sports facilities for practice and competitions; accredited refereeing and other joint activities that promote our partnership and empower our athletes by acknowledging their status as real sportspersons, driven by the same passion and bound by the same rules as their peers. Currently, 20 programs are in Soccer workshops for Special Olympics Mexico athletes, made possible partnership with 21 local sports by a joint effort from, Special Olympics and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football federations. (CONCACAF). Regarding regional sports confederations, we have SPORTS strengthened our long-standing relations with them, which resulted in regional workshops and grants, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in and increased visibility and the attempt.” representation for our athletes throughout Latin America. Sports are the focus of empowerment efforts at Finally, 14 of our programs have Special Olympics. Every year, we organize around 7,000 partnerships with National Olympic 12,663 competitions in Latin America, in 39 sports disciplines. Committees, and in 2017 we have NEW ATHLETES approached ODESUR (South for A total OF These sports events serve various functions for the benefit American Sports Organization) 360,166 Thanks to our tennis partnerships with the South American Tennis in the region of our athletes: by honing their physical skills, athletes to discuss and analyze future collaborations. These partnerships Confederation (COSAT) and the Central American and Caribbean Tennis strengthen their self-esteem and independence. By forming Confederation (COTECC), initiatives such as the Special Olympics Tennis 834 strengthen athlete preparation Day, celebrated on the fourth week of November, and the ‘Tenis Somos NEW COACHES bonds with others, they experience the joy of friendship and and coach training for a variety of Todos’ program have boosted the number of participating Special for A total OF disciplines, improving the level and Olympics Tennis athletes by 350% since its creation in 2006, likewise Annual 28,303 community. And by taking on leadership roles, they get a quality of competitions and trainings increasing competition opportunities in the region with special events Report