Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023: a gold and a bronze medal for Velabili

17-25 June 2023: 9 days of sport, competitions, adrenaline and lots of passion. But most of all, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 staged the determination and the desire to win in the various disciplines, as well as the emotion of being together.

As told before the departure for Germany, the athletes of the Associazione Velabili of the Lake Lugano Sailing Club – with the support of IBSA, within the project Sailing into the Future. Together – took part in the 2023 Special Olympics World Games. The two teams of the Swiss delegation competed with 33 other teams from all over the world, taking home one gold and one bronze medal.

The prize-giving mechanism of the event provides for 8 podium position. The first three are awarded a medal – gold, silver and bronze – according to the established rules of the most classic competitions. Even those who qualify between fourth and eighth are awarded a prize, thus extending the podium to more winners.

“I am very happy with Dario and Barbara’s performance and with the results they obtained with great effort, commitment and passion. They were great!”, announced Boris Keller, President of the Associazione Velabili. “These competitions are an important occasion for a challenge, but they are also an opportunity for the kids to confront each other, to be part of a team and, above all, to forge relationships. For example, with the Austrian sailing club, with which we have had a strong friendship for years, we maintain a healthy and enjoyable competition”.

Indeed, what makes the entire event unique and exciting is the great atmosphere of joy, as well as the desire to be together in a sound and constructive way. The winners are friendship, passion, the desire to share victories and the strength to support each other in the most difficult moments.

Thanks to the welcome villages and the pre-training recreational activities, aimed at easing tension, the entire event is a great opportunity to experience first-hand the true sense of inclusion and integration. The atmosphere is that of sport in its best form, whose most authentic values ​​become almost tangible: all athletes are appreciated and recognised for their commitment and mutual respect; and it’s not just health and physical fitness to be emphasised and strengthened, but also team spirit and, more importantly, self-confidence and independence.