"I was raised by my grandmother. In my community in Tsakane, no one knew what an intellectual disability was. But she believed in me, and every day she made sure I was treated the same as my six brothers and sisters. I am here today because of her."
For a parent, sibling or caregiver of a person with an intellectual disability, leadership often begins long before anyone gives it that name.
It can begin with speaking up for a loved one, helping another family find its way, volunteering with a local Special Olympics Program or using personal experience to challenge assumptions in a community.
From this reality, came the vision of Special Olympics Africa Region to launch a global pilot of the Leadership Academy specifically focused on family leaders.
With 21 family leaders from 13 Special Olympics Programs, the Leadership Academy was delivered over 4 intensive days of training, leadership development and action planning from 13 – 16 October in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Academy was designed not just as a training, but a strategic progression from learning to implementation. Family projects are supported by grants made possible by the Samuel Family Foundation to take ideas from dreams into Program deliverables in the next several months.
The participants represented a diverse level of leadership experience: half are experienced Family Council members, and half are emerging family leaders, creating opportunities for knowledge, experience and new perspectives to move between generations of leaders.
Participants selected for the Academy include parents, caregivers and guardians of Special Olympics athletes, siblings, Family Program Coordinators and family leaders serving on National Program Boards. The selection process set the clear expectation for the participants to work with their National Directors in developing or refining their family leadership projects, implementing it after the Academy, and reporting on progress.
The potential audience for stronger family leadership is far larger. Census data identifies 66,903 registered family members supporting Special Olympics athletes across the Africa Region. The Leadership Academy builds capacity of the family leaders to engage, educate and empower other family members to grow Special Olympics at every level of our Movement.
From Stories to Action
Storytelling is part of that leadership journey, and the design of the training outcomes. Those stories matter because families understand inclusion not simply as an organizational objective, but through lived experience. The Academy aims to help leaders connect those personal journeys with practical leadership: understanding how to communicate impact, work with Program leadership, and translate ideas into action.
“Families are not simply part of the Special Olympics journey. They are leaders, advocates and some of the strongest voices for inclusion in their communities. When we invest in their leadership, we strengthen our Programs and create a movement that can reach far beyond the playing field.”
Every participant is expected to leave Johannesburg with more than a certificate. The selection criteria sets clear expectations of demonstrating accountability (one of the Unified Leadership competencies). Beyond the workshop, participants commit to refining their family leadership projects with their Program, putting that plan into practice, and submitting regular progress reports. This makes the pilot not just a training, but the starting point for 13 Program-level pathways to action.
For Special Olympics Africa, that possibility is significant, because when families are equipped not only to participate, but also to lead, advocate, tell their stories and turn ideas into measurable action, their impact will reach well beyond their own families.
This event was made possible by the support of Lions Clubs International Foundation, Bank of America, and the Samuel Family Foundation. Special thanks to the facilitators and speakers who contributed their time and expertise to the success of the Academy. Together, their support helps drive community-based inclusion efforts worldwide.
