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Cool Under Pressure, She’s a Warm Mentor for Younger Leaders in Malta
She had a keynote speech to give. She was in an unfamiliar city for just a few hours. Bright spotlights shined upon her. In a grand meeting room, 350 leaders from across Europe faced her. They were government ministers, a European Commissioner, elected parliamentarians, and the head of the International Olympic Committee. Athlete Leader Shanaia Xuereb of Special Olympics Malta was aware of all of that, but she did not get overwhelmed.
“I imagined I am speaking in front of my family, my mentors, my directors. I imagined that my team was in front of me,” she says.
Teamwork got her to the stage in Kraków, Poland, for the EU Sport Forum in April 2025. She started that journey with a leadership project in 2023. For her project she created two committees to address the differing needs between athletes new to leadership and those who are much farther along. Shanaia’s work gave each group a greater voice and feeling of belonging.
Those committees are still active, and now, 35 athlete leaders are growing and learning in the Program. Shanaia is a role model to them—and a fashion model in Malta.
Modeling has helped her feel at ease in front of others. Leadership training, giving speeches, and the experience of leading has made Shanaia a nurturing mentor to other athletes, says Lorna Callus, Shanaia’s mentor since 2023.
“Believing in her, believing that Shanaia is capable of doing it, giving her opportunities—that helped her,” Lorna said.
Shanaia knows what it felt like to be a new leader, unsure and shy. Teamwork made the difference. “Once, I learned it from other athlete leaders,” she said, ”Now it is my turn to help other athletes, especially the new ones.”
“Train-The-Trainer” Sessions Help Special Olympics Programs Develop Fitness-Focused Athlete Leaders
Fitness Captains are Special Olympics athlete leaders who support sports and fitness activities in the sports they play.
“I think I’m very important to my team,” says Christian Mooslechner of Special Olympics Austria. He was trained as a Fitness Captain in 2025. “I support my coach and my teammates. I prepare the exercises during warm-ups. I give tips during games, and if we lose, I try to motivate everyone again. I think it’s great that I can pass on my experience as an athlete to the younger players.”
In 2025, Program staff from Special Olympics Programs in The Netherlands, Israel, Portugal, Austria, France, and Ireland received training that enabled them to train 113 fitness captains within their Programs. Each of the Fitness Captains is an athlete leader with a focus on sport, fitness and health.
“Christian has become aware of the positive influence he has on his teammates and that you don’t always have to be the best athlete to be an important part of your team,” says Thomas Gruber, Sports Director for Special Olympics Austria.
Christian has two roles on his team: on-field competitor and assistant coach during trainings.
“I learned from the Fitness Captain Seminar that, as an assistant coach, I have a lot of responsibility and am also allowed to give instructions. But that doesn’t mean I’m the boss. I just try to support my teammates as best I can so that we can be successful as a team, regardless of whether we win or lose.”
Bringing the Promise of Special Olympics to Eu Legislators
In September 2025, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia held its first-ever day of activities with representatives of the European Union in Brussels. More than 40 Special Olympics athlete leaders took part in meetings, discussions and sport at the European Parliament.
Almost all of the athlete leaders had been trained in various leadership disciplines.
Athletes trained in Health Messenger and Fitness Captain courses spoke about the value of health and fitness in their work with other athletes.
The clear benefit of training was the comfort and accomplishment athlete leaders displayed in speaking to individual legislators and large groups of people in panel discussions.
An Insider from Iceland Behind the Camera Lens
The man behind the camera was Magnús Orri Arnarson, an athlete leader from Special Olympics Iceland. Magnús shot and edited two videos connected to the conference for his professional fee and travel.
“I feel it is a great honor that I am trusted with such a big project,” Magnús says. “I have been working very hard and have a passion for photography and videography and making these videos for Special Olympics.”
Special Olympics Europe Eurasia holds the sport conference every two years. It’s a gathering of Special Olympics Sports Directors, advisors, partners, athletes, program staff, and experts that furthers sports development for people with intellectual disabilities in Europe and Eurasia. This year, over 100 participants from 40 countries took part in the event in Larnaca, Cyprus.
Leading a Tasty Demonstration About Nutrition in France
Athlete Leader Nicolas Gauchotte of Special Olympics France helped lead activities that promote healthy eating and active lifestyles during a gathering organized by his Program.
“I was trained to lead activities, so I led the nutrition workshop by having others taste cakes and guess the ingredients that make them up,” Nicolas says.
He is a Health Messenger, an athlete leader trained to promote healthy activities and habits in demonstrations, talks and workshops. In 2025, athletes in France, Portugal, and Ireland and staff from Special Olympics Switzerland took part in health education-related trainings. In 2025, 57 Health Messengers received training to bring health- and fitness-focused messages to local, regional, and global events.
