The room was small by design.
Eighteen leaders from six Caribbean islands gathered together in Saint Kitts and Nevis, not in a massive conference hall, but in a space built for conversation, honesty, and growth.
For many of them, it was the first time they had ever received formal leadership training through Special Olympics.
And for Lorna Bell, Special Olympics Caribbean Executive Director, that moment had been years in the making.
“If I had my way, it would have been done long ago,” Bell said with a laugh. “Our Program leaders have been asking for this one-to-one, face-to-face training. Everything now is on Zoom, and sometimes they are there, but they are not there.”
The first-ever Caribbean Leadership Academy marked a major milestone for the region. Over several days, participants built practical skills in Unified Leadership, board governance, fundraising, compliance, strategic planning, and sports marketing. By the end of the Academy, each participant left with a concrete action plan, a roadmap they will implement over the next year to strengthen Programs across the Caribbean.
For Svetlana Fenichel, Senior Director of Leadership & Organizational Development, the Academy came at a critical moment.
“The Caribbean Programs had many new leaders coming on board,” Fenichel said. “We needed a way to motivate and educate them to position them for success, while also reenergizing leaders who have been with the movement for some time. The Academy was designed to give them the tools, confidence, and support network they need to lead effectively.”
But beyond the sessions and presentations, the Academy represented something larger: an investment in people who are often balancing Special Olympics work entirely as volunteers.
“One of the major challenges we have in the Caribbean is staffing,” Bell explained. “Everybody is volunteering. They leave an 8 to 4:30 job, come home to family commitments, and then still have to attend to Special Olympics. It is a whole lot of work.”
That reality made leadership development even more urgent.
“We were looking at every possible way to reach our Programs with quality training and meaningful engagement,” Bell said. “And this approach allowed us to bring leaders together in a more manageable and impactful way.”
The participants arrived eager to learn.
“They were hungry for the training,” Bell said. “Most of them had just been invited in to help. They had never gotten this sort of training before.”
The Academy was intentionally structured to create space for discussion rather than lectures. In the smaller environment, leaders openly shared the challenges they face, from volunteer burnout and fundraising pressures to building awareness for inclusion in their local communities.
But the Academy did not stop at identifying challenges. Facilitators traveled from different parts of the world to share expertise and guide participants through practical problem-solving exercises. Together, leaders worked to develop viable solutions tailored to their local realities, transforming conversations into actionable plans.
“Some of the most powerful moments came from leaders working through real-world challenges together,” Fenichel said. “They weren't just talking about what was difficult. They were developing concrete actions they could take back to their Programs. That's where leadership development becomes meaningful, when learning turns into action.”
“Everyone in that room had the opportunity to express how they were feeling,” Bell said. “Because it was a small group, we were hearing the truth.”
A central part of that truth was the growing momentum around athlete leadership and inclusion throughout the Caribbean.
One of the Academy’s standout sessions focused on Athlete Leadership and Unified Leadership and was co-facilitated by athlete leader and Global Messenger David Duncan. His presence transformed the experience.
“When athletes speak about their experiences, it changes the entire atmosphere in the room,” Bell said. “We don’t see their disability anymore. We see their ability.”
For Fenichel, the session demonstrated the power of athlete leadership to shift perspectives.
“Having David co-present the session allowed leaders to see athlete leadership and unified leadership in action,” she said. “It moved the conversation from theory to possibility. When leaders see athletes teaching, facilitating, and leading, it changes how they think about the role athletes can play in shaping our movement.”
For Bell, athlete leadership is not symbolic, it is essential to the future of the movement. She said:
“We are not just serving our athletes anymore. We are seeing them as true leaders, decision-makers, and valuable contributors to the movement.”
The Academy also highlighted how leadership development can extend beyond Special Olympics Programs and into national systems of support.
During the gathering, government leaders from Saint Kitts and Nevis, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Sports, and representatives from health and education, attended sessions and engaged directly with participants. The event coincided with broader coalition-building efforts in the region, including a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Saint Kitts and Nevis to strengthen collaboration and support for inclusion.
“We definitely need government support now more than ever,” Bell said. “Having these events helps us get the message out face-to-face.”
For Bell, the most important takeaway was about listening.
“As leaders, we do not have the answer to everything,” she reflected after the Academy concluded, adding:
“Listening and showing empathy, creating space for others to share. That was my biggest takeaway.”
She hopes participants returned home not only more knowledgeable, but more confident.
“I’m hoping they left stronger and more willing to take what was taught back to their Programs,” Bell said. “They can now take the message of Special Olympics out to the wider community.”
That ripple effect is exactly what the Academy was designed to create: stronger leaders, stronger Programs, and stronger communities across the Caribbean.
Each participant left Saint Kitts and Nevis with a detailed action plan focused on strengthening key areas of their Program, including board governance, marketing, accreditation, and data management.
“Success for me will be seeing those plans come to life,” Fenichel said. “Every Program made a commitment to action. If, one year from now, we can point to tangible changes that strengthen governance, improve outreach, maintain quality standards, and create more sustainable Programs, then we will know the Academy achieved its purpose.”
Throughout the week, participants reflected on their learning, shared feedback, and discussed how they would apply their new skills at home.
“We heard leaders talking about what they planned to do differently, we saw meaningful discussions around action, and we saw athlete leaders being given the opportunity to teach and lead,” Fenichel said. “One participant called the Academy ‘critical for sustained growth at the Program level.’ Moments like that reinforced why this work matters.”
“If we can save one child’s life, one person’s life,” Bell said, “then we would have completed what the Lord sent us here on earth to do.”
The Academy itself was supported by a coalition of partners committed to leadership development and inclusion, led by Lions Clubs International as the primary sponsor. Additional support came from organizations including BoardSource, Blanchard, and FIBA.
