Special Olympics (SO) Caribbean Initiative Executive Director Lorna Bell is excited after the recent staging of events in Aruba and Dominica drew the support of government and private sector partners.

In November, the Caribbean Initiative hosted its first-ever Family Health Forum in Aruba. The forum featured a ‘Healthy Athletes Screening’, with key stakeholders in the region and Special Olympics North America (SONA) in attendance.

Health screening programmes offers athletes access to free services and help to spread general health awareness.

Earlier this month, athlete leaders from across the region convened for the inaugural Caribbean Youth Leadership Summit in Dominica.

Nurturing future leaders is seen as an integral component in the sustainability of the global Special Olympics movement.

“The SO Caribbean Initiative was formed in 2019 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic some aspects of the programme were put on hold. But with most restrictions being lifted we’ve been able to do family health forum/healthy athletes opening eyes in Aruba. There was also the first SO Caribbean Youth Athlete Leadership Summit in Dominica and new SONA President Greg Epperson was there to provide guidance,” Bell, the former Special Olympics Jamaica executive director, said.

“Both events, which were sponsored by the Aruna Oswald Trust, had good support and were successful. It was a also pleasure to see that our corporate partner Digicel supported the projects both in Aruba and Dominica, and both programmes have board of directors in place to bolster proper governance.

“The Dominica athletes were boosted when they watched the video message from Special Olympics International CEO Mary Davis congratulating them for the progress they have made.

“Also in Dominica, the Olympic Committee President Billy Doctrove must be commended for giving support to Special Olympics Dominica. As we move forward, it is our goal to have local programmes partnering with their Government, so it was heartwarming to have Roselyn Paul, Dominica’s minister of sports, culture and community development, underlining the Government’s commitment.

Ainsworth Irish, the director of Special Olympics Dominica, said there are already encouraging signs since the staging of the summit.

“Everybody put their shoulders to the wheels… and that was a shining example of commitment, dedication and passion. And we’re already getting plenty publicity after this summit.

“The participation was good and the level of education that came across in terms of the literature and the information. The need for inclusion and the importance of unified sports were highlighted as the way forward as we chart that course for the development of Special Olympics not just in the region, but also internationally,” he said.

Irish added: “People in Dominica were kind of lukewarm to Special Olympics as opposed to countries like Jamaica and The Bahamas and St Kitts where people are more aware of Special Olympics. But this summit really showcased the importance of Special Olympics and… a few business partners have already called me. It was a resounding success and I can only hope that the Caribbean programme continues to grow.”

Through sport activities and competition, the Special Olympics movement aims to break down barriers that exclude people with intellectual disabilities, such as autism and Down’s syndrome, from mainstream society.

The disabilities can either be acquired or genetic and can also include cases of cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and some cases of developmental delay.