Youth leader Wenli’s experiences in Special Olympics activities as an athlete and attending Global Youth Leadership Summits encouraged him to combine leadership with sports. He wanted to share his experiences with others, encouraging younger students to participate in Special Olympics, as it was truly a fun and rewarding experience. As a lover of sports, Wenli created a basketball team for people with IDD.
Wenli was supported by his family and teacher as he planned and executed his basketball team. He also held firm to the spirit of Special Olympics which inspired him to believe in the power of inclusion.
Wenli created a basketball team for youth with IDD, encouraging those who were afraid to play to join. Through practice sessions and encouragement, athletes became more confident and improved their skills in basketball. Playing on the team increased overall participation in sports and helped the community better embrace inclusion. After their training, the team played two basketball games where they continued to raise awareness.
Wenli held not just one, but two public games that everyone watched and cheered for the players. He notes that his teammates became more confident as they improved in their skills and made new friends. Attack of the Athletes demonstrated that inclusion was just not a word, but was a daily action embedded in every moment that they practiced, played, and laughed together.
One of Wenli’s favorite moments from his project was seeing a teammate score for the first time. Throughout Attack of the Athletes, he describes that by moving from fear into courage, each of his teammates became heroes. Equipped with improvements in his leadership and communication skills through his project, Wenli aims to continue leading and inviting more youth without IDD to play to create a Unified team.