Videos

Nikilani shows that abilities, not disabilities, define a person’s potential. The power of inclusion in the workplace proves that when businesses open doors to people of all abilities, everyone wins.

From once being shy as a child to now leading with confidence, Nikilani hosted the very first Special Olympics Maui Athlete Leadership Council meeting.

As a passionate leader working to build local councils and give athletes a stronger voice, Nikilani embraced the opportunity to learn, connect, and share ideas with leaders from across the country.

Dr. Kellye Knueppel has been an integral part of growing the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® for over 24 years in her home state of Wisconsin, across North America, and around the world. 

Dr. María Teresa Barán Wasilchuk serves as the Minister of Health in Paraguay. Since taking office, she has made inclusive health a national priority, driving significant progress in transforming both practices and policies to better serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). 

Dr. Shamsiya Murat has been involved with Special Olympics since 2015, and in that time, she’s played a variety of important roles in initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access and care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.  

Dr Teck-Hock Toh, is a seasoned pediatrician committed to ensuring that all children – regardless of disability status – receive the access and support they need to live a healthy life and thrive in school and beyond. In 2006, he founded the Agape Center, a one-stop children’s developmental clinic in Sarawak, Malaysia aimed at early diagnosis detection and early childhood intervention (ECI).

Dr. Yousef Alawadhi is a dentist and a Regional Clinical Advisor for Special Olympics Kuwait. He has been involved in the Special Olympics movement since 2019 after first attending the World Games in Abu Dhabi. Following the Games, he established Special Olympics Kuwait’s first Special Olympics Healthy Athletes discipline, Special Olympics Special Smiles®. In the 6 years since, Dr. Alawadhi helped expand the scope of healthcare available to athletes, leading to the establishment of seven health disciplines within Special Olympics Kuwait.

Ulster University in Northern Ireland has supported and strengthened numerous aspects of Special Olympics Ireland health programming since 2013, focusing on prevention, fitness, and family education. Through this work, Ulster has been an advocate for improving healthcare access for Special Olympics athletes and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through educating and training students and forging community-based partnerships. 

Dr. Simeon Afolabi is an audiologist with over 25 years of experience in public and private sectors across Nigeria. As the Founder and CEO of BSA Speech and Language Centre and a Healthy Hearing Clinical Director for Special Olympics Nigeria, he has significantly improved access to inclusive audiology services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through his work with Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®, he has organized over 30 Healthy Hearing screenings across rural and urban communities in five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions.