Juliwati (Juli) was born with Down syndrome and a cardiovascular condition that created health challenges for her. Her family and her doctor did their best to find a solution for her health issues. As she grew up, she learned that healthy eating and physical activity are important to improve the health outcomes of people with cardiovascular conditions.
Juli’s journey with Special Olympics began when she moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. She joined regular sports training with Special Olympics Indonesia athletes in Rawamangun. As she was training, Juli’s health improved significantly, to the point that she registered to participate in several national and international sports competitions. When asked about her health she said “My condition became more than better, I healed completely. Besides that, I don’t have any problems with my health.”
Her best moments in Special Olympics were when she could do sports training with her peers in Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta (DKI Jakarta- the special capital district of Jakarta). She was also glad that she could participate in Special Olympics Athlete Leadership, and sports competitions. For Juli, sports competitions were not about winning medals but showing the world how sports could help her stay healthy.
Juli became a Health Messenger in 2018. She maintains her health by eating nutritious food and drinking mineral water. She wants to educate her friends about staying active and eating healthy food regularly to improve their health outcomes. Besides participating in sports, Juli loves to dance.
Health Messengers 2023
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Boniface Kimeu
Special Olympics Kenya -
Joyce Ramabusa
Special Olympics South Africa -
Ndèye Rokhaya Gaye
Special Olympics Senegal -
Juliwati Japi
Special Olympics Indonesia -
Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran
Special Olympics Vietnam -
Li Yan Ho
Special Olympics Hong Kong -
Tina Sirui Jia
Special Olympics China -
Janka Weber
Special Olympics Germany -
Michaela Duchova
Special Olympics Slovakia -
Peter Ispold
Special Olympics Slovakia -
Reynaldo Montova
Special Olympics Germany -
Catalina Cervantes Gamboa
Special Olympics Costa Rica -
Erika Maradiaga Soler
Special Olympics Honduras -
Gabriela Patricia Velásquez Rodríguez
Special Olympics El Salvador -
Paavlena Madhivana
Special Olympics Arizona -
Travis Sherrer
Special Olympics Alaska -
Katherine Elizabeth Little
Special Olympics British Columbia
