Sargent Shriver Global Messengers 2018 – 2023

Renee Manfredi never thought she'd be an athlete. Now she's a multi-sport gold medalist, Female Athlete of the Year, and Global Messenger for Special Olympics! JR Jackson chats with Renee about her incredible journey on Agents of Inclusion.

The position has shaped me into a spirited, thoughtful leader in the inclusion revolution, where I help define the mindset of what true inclusion looks like.

Happy New Year, everyone! Can you believe it is 2023?! It’s so hard to imagine that four years in my role as an SSIGM have already gone by. I can honestly say these years have certainly been filled with adventure and the unexpected.

I have four meaningful goals for this year that I hope to accomplish, with the love and support of my mentors and staff from Special Olympics and my family and friends.

The award is presented by Dimensions, an organization in the UK that offers support for people with learning and developmental disabilities.

Video celebrating Special Olympics as the recipient of the 2022 “Turn the World Outward” award from Arbinger Institute.

With National Disability Employment Awareness Month right around the corner, I've been reflecting on my own employment journey. My journey to the job I currently have was not one that I planned and it didn't go as easy as one, two, three. It was and still is a journey of faith. You see, when I left high school, I faced barriers in qualifying for disability resources and vocational training that I had been told would help prepare me to enter the workplace. As I applied for services, I was told I was either too high functioning or too low functioning to receive these services. I had a lot of time to wonder, and even be afraid of what my future might hold. The workplace had always been a scary place for me. I wasn’t so worried about the type of job I would get; I was worried about the support I would receive to be successful in my job.

Happy October and National Disability Employment Awareness Month! It’s the season of showcasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Special Olympics Zimbabwe athlete Nyasha Derera has been beating the odds for his entire life.

Hi everyone,