Athletes From Around the World Confer on Ways to Enhance Special Olympics

Beijing, June 8, 2005 - The Special Olympics Global Athlete Congress was held in Panama City at the City of Knowledge from 6 June through 8 June, uniting 67 Special Olympics athletes from 35 countries and regions. Special Olympics East Asia was well represented, with Tam Wai Yip of Special Olympics Hong Kong, Peter Wang Tzu Ang from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, and Zhang Ping, Jia Sirui and Xu Chuang from Special Olympics China in attendance. Their mission was to discuss issues from competition management to athletes serving a more prominent leadership role in government relations and fundraising.

The athletes, ranging in age from 16 to 50, represented all seven of the Special Olympics regions and served on the second Global Congress in Special Olympics history, creating a stronger voice for people with intellectual disabilities off the playing field and in a governmental setting. The Congress was opened by First Lady of Panama Vivian Fernández de Torrijos who said "For us it is an honor to have the presence of each athlete in our country. It is our dream for you to hold your destiny and decisions in your hands as you are doing today."

The 5 SOEA athletes, along with all the other attending athletes, debated and voted on 4 key issues during the Congress:

1. How should Special Olympics deal with "sandbagging" in preliminary races?
2. Should there be a minimum standard for how much training and competition is available to each athlete in each sport offered?
3. Should every Special Olympics Program be required to develop a strategy for athlete leaders to participate in government relations to support the movement?
4. Should athletes be involved in fundraising for the movement and, if so, how?

To see results of the deliberations, please see http://www.specialolympicseastasia.org/English/News/articles/GACResults.html

A new Athlete Congress chair was elected at the end of the first day's session to replace outgoing chairperson Loretta Clairborne from Special Olympics USA. Jia Sirui from Special Olympics China was among 10 candidates selected, with Ephraim Mohlakane from South Africa elected as the new chairperson.

(left to right): Xu Chuang, Peter Wang Tzu Ang, Jia Sirui, Tam Wai Yip and Zhang Ping

At the inaugural Congress in 2000 in the Netherlands , 67 athlete leaders took steps toward creating new terminology and the first global codes of conduct for athletes and coaches. The Global Athlete Congress is an extension of Athlete Leadership Programs ( ALPs ), which provide athletes opportunities for leadership in the areas of governance, public speaking and coaching. As a part of ALPs , past and present International Global Messengers will attend the Congress in their ongoing roles as spokespersons, spreading the movement's message throughout their communities and the world.