From Workshop to Workforce
In 2019, following the Unified Leadership launch in Dublin, the ADIDAS Latin America regional office invited Special Olympics to speak with one of their DEI employee resource groups about intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). During that session, athlete leader Exaul joined to share his perspective and help introduce the foundational concepts of Unified Leadership, well before the more formalized trainings existed.
What happened next became a powerful example of the impact of inclusion in action. After the session, Exaul approached a franchise director who had attended the training, thanked him for the company’s efforts to become more inclusive, and confidently told him he was looking for a job. By the end of the year, Exaul was hired.
This moment highlights more than a personal milestone; it represents a concrete, measurable success for Unified Leadership. It shows how awareness, advocacy, and genuine inclusion can open doors and how athlete leadership can transform lives, workplaces, and partnerships around the world.
What happened next became a powerful example of the impact of inclusion in action. After the session, Exaul approached a franchise director who had attended the training, thanked him for the company’s efforts to become more inclusive, and confidently told him he was looking for a job. By the end of the year, Exaul was hired.
This moment highlights more than a personal milestone; it represents a concrete, measurable success for Unified Leadership. It shows how awareness, advocacy, and genuine inclusion can open doors and how athlete leadership can transform lives, workplaces, and partnerships around the world.