Clement Coulston, senior manager of youth development at Special Olympics International (SOI), says he is excited that a delegation from Washington, DC, in the United States, is in Jamaica as part of the 2024 Special Olympics unified youth exchange.

In March, a delegation from Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) was in the US capital as part of the exchange programme. The programme, which is organised by SOI and Special Olympics Caribbean Initiative, is sponsored by the Sport Diplomacy Division at the US Department of State through funding from the US Government.

The US-based Coulston noted that the trip to Jamaica, which is scheduled to end this weekend, is a priceless engagement for Special Olympics athletes and volunteers. While on the island, the delegation will visit schools and cultural sites and engage in leadership and unified sports activities.

“I’m so excited for this week-long immersive experience for us to engage in leadership development opportunities, participate in unified sports — in which youth with and without disabilities are playing together — as well as being able to form lifelong friendships,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He said staging unified sports in schools is central to bringing about global inclusion.

“We see unified sports as people with and without intellectual disabilities playing together and we know that it helps them to experience joy, demonstrate courage, and it helps to form friendships on and off the field,” he explained.

“When you’re able to exemplify that strength and growth, then back in the community it will be the norm… that’s unified living, doing everything together regardless of challenges or even your abilities. It’s really important to help foster those inclusive environments that can really begin at the school level to grow those positive mindsets and behaviours where inclusion is the norm,” Coulston added.

He said there were positives from the visit to Washington, DC where the SOJ delegation was exposed to local culture and food and given a broader insight into inclusion initiatives.

“It was a really great experience for everyone involved because we were at one together, sharing everything together and growing together.

“Some [young athletes] can be shy and timid but the exchange programme helps to grow their confidence and grow their belief in themselves as leaders. This is very important because typically in society we tend to think of leaders as the most outspoken… but in reality all of us can be and are leaders,” he reasoned.