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The Family Support Network was founded with a basic premise: that family members of present and future Special Olympics athletes are valuable and have an important role to play in Special Olympics outreach. On a day-to-day basis, families connect by volunteering at athletic trainings, meeting in local gatherings, sharing links and information and talking online via a global network.
But families also are a critical part of bringing the Special Olympics movement into new and often reluctant communities worldwide, like Myanmar.
Conservative Myanmar has only two special schools for people with intellectual disabilities. Traditionally, people in Myanmar avoid even looking at those with intellectual disabilities, most of whom are housed in institutions. To succeed in building a Special Olympics Program there, we would need to rely on families to accomplish the networking, communication and volunteer efforts that make Special Olympics a success. |
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The first step was organizing a Family Support Network orientation seminar. In November 2005, in a crowded room in Yangon, 115 family members gathered. Neighbors looked at each other with surprise; neither had known that the other had a child with an intellectual disability. A father watched a video in English, a language he did not know, and saw a new ray of hope for his child’s future. For the first time, families who felt cut off and isolated from the mainstream realized that they were not alone.
After the orientation meeting, they took action. They selected eight family representatives to meet with the Myanmar government to plan the birth of Special Olympics Myanmar. The Program launched soon after, with weekly trainings at a local stadium, and in 2007 Special Olympics Myanmar sent its first team to compete at the World Games in Shanghai, China.
Around the world, families of Special Olympics athletes are making our movement stronger. By contributing to forums, selecting Global Family Leaders to help chart the direction of Special Olympics, recruiting and supporting other families, and educating the public about the mission, philosophy and benefits of Special Olympics, they help bring the movement to life.
Help us empower more family members to make a difference in our movement and in the lives of Special Olympics athletes. Contact Special Olympics near you join the family support network |
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