The air was electric in Chur, Switzerland with the signing of the official agreement for the Special Olympics 2029 World Winter Games. In a few short years, Switzerland will play host to the largest sport and philanthropic event in the world featuring 2,500 Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners. And if the events of this past week are any indication, it’s going to be spectacular.
Before the signing took place, Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Board for Special Olympics, visited the Federal Parliament in Bern, where he and the Special Olympics International team were received by Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Federal Councilor Martin Pfister.
The exchange was enthusiastic as Federal Councilor Baume-Schneider, Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI), expressed, “The inclusion of people with disabilities is of great importance to the Federal Council. The Special Olympics World Winter Games Switzerland 2029 offer athletes with intellectual disabilities a global stage to showcase their achievements. At the same time, they highlight the core values of inclusion—equality of opportunity, respect, and dignity.”
Among the contingent from Special Olympics International was Susan Wang, Sargent Shriver Global Messenger. She raised a valuable insight in full concert with Federal Councilor Baume-Schneider, “The World Winter Games in Switzerland are a unique opportunity for athletes from around the world to come together and experience the power of inclusion through sport.”
It was a busy visit as, Dr. Shriver and Susan Wang attended multiple events, spoke on podcasts, and exemplified the spirit of Unified Sport® as they joined Special Olympics Switzerland athletes and supporters in a skating event at a local Chur ice rink. It harkened back to the founding of the Special Olympics movement where inclusion started on the field of play.
The signing of the agreement also signified the launch of a key market research study across Switzerland. This study will explore how people with and without intellectual disabilities can be brought closer together through sport, housing, and employment.
Bruno Barth, President of the Special Olympics World Winter Games Switzerland 2029 Local Organizing Committee (LOC), shared, "Switzerland 2029 is an invitation to the whole of Switzerland to become part of a unique movement. These Games stand for joy, connection, and the courage to visibly live inclusion."
The excitement and meaning were woven together by Dr. Shriver, who spoke to a passionate crowd at the University of Zurich, “With these Games, Switzerland is showing that inclusion is not an abstract idea but is a living reality. When we put people with ID at the center of our communities and our lives, we strengthen the cohesion of our entire society.”
