Athens today was exceptional; we got to visit Corinthians and Mycenae. However, the most life-changing experience was the Special Olympic Opening Ceremonies. It was truly amazing and more inspiring than any of the other sites we have seen. Not just because I'm a sports nut and I've been an Olympic fan since the dawn of time, but because of what the Special Olympics stood for.
It was a revolution for equality. The goal is to give the opportunity for everyone to compete and feel the power of sports to lift self-esteem and pride. The key word that was reiterated throughout the ceremony was dignity. People with disabilities want to be treated with respect and allowed to participant in all endeavors of life. Timothy Kennedy Shriver spoke on behalf of his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, about how impossibility is a frame of mind and that the only disadvantage anyone has is not believing in themselves and their god-given abilities. Everyone has a talent and a gift from God. Stevie Wonder gave a moving performance and speech about how God makes no mistakes and that were made perfectly in his eyes.
It warmed my heart to see the parade of athletes walk across the long platform with huge smiles on their faces. In a world that constantly puts them down and makes them feel less about themselves, it's truly revolutionary to create an environment of positivity and support. I absolutely loved hearing every person cheering and clapping for every team and seeing how enthusiastic and genuine they were.
I'm so grateful to be able to witness such an amazing movement. Everyone should have something they are proud of and that makes them feel good about themselves. Eunice Kennedy Shriver really has impacted the world with the founding of the Special Olympics. In it's short amount of time it has flourished and become one of the biggest events world-wide. Attending this event has been one of the best decisions of my life.
Now I'm kinda jealous that I didn't get to see the special Olympics! I'd never thought about how the special Olympics really are a platform for equality. Thanks for sharing your experience!
ReplyDeleteDr. Moore half-jokingly told Ben that the Special Olympics is more likely to bring upon world peace than the "Nike and Addidas Olympics". I agreed with Timothy Shriver's other comment that the "dignity revolution" started at the Special Olympics is a model for the rest of the world. Like you Linh, I hope that the dignity emphasized during this special night will not only continue through the lives of special olympics athletes, but that this would be a concept that would spread to the rest of the world: to politics, to the poor, to slaves, to the physically disabled, and others. I agree that Stevie Wonder's message that all are created wonderfully and beautifully by God was the icing on this Special Olympics cake.
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