Gonzalo is a 25-year-old from the city of Santiago, Chile. He is a civil servant, working as a Sports Assistant to public school physical education teachers in Barnechea, Santiago. Gonzalo is a Special Olympics athlete and competes in the sport of snowboarding. Since 2019, he has participated in competitions at the local and national levels. Gonzalo is an athlete leader and serves on the Athlete Input Council. These roles within Special Olympics have allowed Gonzalo to develop his skills as a public speaker and gain more confidence.

Olivia is a 23-year-old from Santiago, Chile in the Vitacura district. She studies psychology at the Catholic University of Chile, and is in her fifth and final year of earning her degree! Olivia has been a volunteer for Special Olympics since 2015. She has a brother with ID, which is how she initially got involved with Special Olympics several years ago. Olivia competed as part of the Chilean delegation in the 2017 Special Olympics World Games in Austria, and again in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in the Abu Dhabi. Her work with Special Olympics has been instrumental in her development as an individual and future psychologist. Olivia is passionate about inclusion; she believes that there is room for everyone to have space to be seen and heard.
Gonzalo and Olivia recognized the great opportunity presented in hosting unified activities in local schools. Schools are a prime venue for spreading the message of inclusion and shaping inclusive mindsets within youth. Within their schools, youth are ready to learn and engage with materials presented to them. Gonzalo and Olivia want to instill within these youth a desire to build a more inclusive society through Unified Sporting events.
Gonzalo and Olivia planned and hosted an inclusive sports clinic in a rural school! The clinic was focused on dodgeball and futsal, and individuals with and without intellectual disabilities served as the coaches. The clinic included a warm-up icebreaker activity, three recreational sports stations, and a large group activity at the end!
Gonzalo and Olivia engaged school-age youth that will be the next generation of inclusive leaders! They spread awareness about the inclusion movement by introducing participants that lived in a rural school to Unified Sports and fostering personal connections. During the clinic, participants had fun and learned new skills. Group reflections helped the participants understand that sport is a great tool to assess skills, build comradery, and work towards achieving inclusion!
Gonzalo and Olivia realized quickly that although pre-planning the event was very important, it is also necessary to be able to adapt to unexpected circumstances and situations on the spot! For example, they coached two very different age groups and modified the proposed activities to fit each group's interests and abilities! They created a relationship with the host school and partnered with them to make transportation go smoothly even though the school was in the mountains. Gonzalo and Olivia improved their leadership and facilitation skills by directing group discussions with the participants. In the future, they plan to keep the school involved in the inclusion movement for years to come!