This Mandela Day, Special Olympics celebrates the power of partnership and sport to drive lasting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through a focused development of the Motor Activity Training Program (MATP), we want to ensure that the most vulnerable in this community, athletes with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities and high support needs, are not left behind.
MATP is an innovative Special Olympics sport program designed for specifically to support these athletes. Through the MATP development program, Special Olympics South Africa staff were trained alongside staff from Little Eden. This led to a successful partnership that began two years ago, grounded in a shared commitment to ensuring that every person with IDD has access to sport, education, and holistic care.
Earlier this year, the Special Olympics Africa Leadership Conference took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Here, Special Olympics Program leaders from across Africa received advanced training in MATP. This training equipped leaders with the skills and knowledge to deliver MATP sessions that are safe, adaptable, and engaging for athletes at any level.
Following the conference, the program leaders visited Little Eden to observe hands-on, practical MATP sessions for residents, and to work side-by-side with Little Eden’s care staff. This visit was a milestone for the development of MATP in the region, turning theory into practice and ensuring that Program leaders could see, learn, and actively participate in MATP sessions designed specifically for Little Eden’s residents’ needs.
Little Eden’s own “stimulation program”—which provides daily physical and cognitive activities for residents—closely aligns with the goals of MATP. By combining Little Eden’s existing approach with Special Olympics’ structured sport-based program, the partnership lowers barriers to sport and opens up new possibilities for residents to experience movement, fitness, and the joy of achievement.
Elvira Rohrbeck, Little Eden’s Care Centre Manager, explained:
“Stimulation is important because it is not only fun for our residents—they are working on their physical fitness and sport skills which are instrumental for their overall growth. The MATP training has given our staff fresh tools and ideas they can use every day to help residents build confidence and skills through sport.”
This partnership, strengthened by the support of Special Olympics International, shows how collaboration can bring Mandela’s dream of unity and equality to life. Through sport, people with and without intellectual disabilities can be part of a team, achieve their personal bests, and know they are seen and valued.
As Nelson Mandela so powerfully reminded us:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
On Mandela Day, Special Olympics honors his extraordinary legacy by building a more inclusive world—one where every person, regardless of ability, can belong, participate, and thrive through the transformative power of sport.
