Everyone can do it. How inclusive sport is developing in Russia

From birth, everyone has the right to an active, vibrant and fully social life. For some, inclusion in society comes easily, while others grab every opportunity to avoid being isolated from it.

Sport is a great chance to push the boundaries of what is possible and live life to the fullest. It is what can unite people despite their differences. After all, the most important feature of sport is inclusion: there is room for everyone. As part of a joint project between Champion and Coca-Cola in Russia, we will talk about the development of inclusive sport, the Special Olympics and tell you what each of you can do today to help inclusive athletes.

Inclusion: what is it and for whom?

The essence of an inclusive society is that it includes all people, values and respects everyone, regardless of social status, views or health status. Inclusion is for everyone. It gives people with physical or intellectual disabilities the opportunity to lead an active life, travel, play sports on an equal footing with others.

Why inclusive sport?

In theory, anyone can play sports and attend sports clubs. In practice, the situation looks a little sadder: people with physical or mental disabilities often do not want to enroll in sports schools. There are many reasons: too much responsibility, problems with adaptation in a group with other athletes – all these are formalities that somehow make sports a privilege. Although everyone needs the joyful emotions of team play, movement and energy.

The first person who decided to change the situation of people with physical or mental disabilities was activist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Eunice knew firsthand what it was like to interact with people with developmental disabilities. Her older sister Rosemary at the age of 23 underwent a lobotomy at the insistence of her father: he hoped that it would calm the sharp mood swings and rowdiness of his daughter. But after the operation, the girl’s mental capabilities were reduced to the level of a two-year-old child. She was unable to walk normally, control herself or talk.

In 1963, Eunice and her husband Sargent converted their Maryland home into a sports camp for the mentally retarded. The couple closely observed the campers and studied their abilities. It turned out that their inner potential was so great that with support and training, people with intellectual disabilities can perform very well in various fields and especially in sports.

Sport allows people with special needs to realize themselves and builds character. For example, in Nizhny Novgorod, thanks to the innovative center “Siyaniye”, the project “Football for children with Down syndrome” was launched, within which 16 children are now practicing together with a coach-teacher. One of the players, Semyon Komarov, is seven years old. The boy has reduced muscle tone, which is one of the manifestations of the diagnosis. According to his mother, thanks to the lessons, her son has been transformed and now plays soccer on a par with ordinary children.

One important factor for the development of inclusive sport is the availability of appropriate infrastructure. To ensure that people with physical and mental disabilities have a place where they can freely socialize, play and play sports together with their peers, Coca-Cola Russia, together with the Naked Heart Foundation, is building 11 inclusive play parks with soccer fields. Everyone can visit the grounds, it’s free of charge. In these parks there are no curbs and crossings that are impossible for a wheelchair to pass through, all training equipment and game elements are equipped with ramps, and others can be climbed on their own with the help of hands.

Sports are becoming more accessible

Athletes with physical and mental disabilities: who are they?

Despite the fact that it is much more difficult for such people to realize in life, some of them achieve great heights in sports and inspire others by their example.

Russian swimmer Dmitry Kokarev proves that everything in life is possible if you persevere in pursuit of your goals. Despite a disappointing diagnosis of cerebral palsy, the boy took an interest in swimming as a child, and at the age of 14 he joined the Russian Paralympic team. Now Dmitry breaks one record after another, is a three-time Paralympic champion and 13-time world champion!

Kristina Vodopyanova first came to the hippotherapy course 12 years ago, when she was four years old and did not speak at all. Now the girl speaks confidently and has been professionally engaged in equestrian sport for seven years. This year Christina returned from the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi with three gold medals in her personal collection and she is not going to stop at all.

What is Special Olympics and who can participate?

Special Olympics is an international charity organization that organizes sports competitions for people with intellectual disabilities. Its goal is to help people with intellectual disabilities participate fully and productively in society through sport. Coca-Cola has been a founding partner of the Special Olympics since 1968. During this time, more than 3 million people from 180 countries have become participants of the Special Olympics movement.

Within the framework of Special Olympics programs, athletes can participate in both summer and winter sports: from snowboarding and figure skating to sailing and judo. It is noteworthy that Special Olympics does not separate participants by nationality, so there are no team competitions between different countries.

Everyone can participate in the Special Olympics

Inclusive Competitions: What are Unified Matches?

Inclusive competitions are an integral part of Special Olympics’ work. These competitions ignite athletes’ interest and motivate them to perform at their best. A prime example of an inclusive competition is a junior varsity match. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that people with and without special developmental needs play in one team.

In recent years, more than 10 unified soccer matches have been held in our country. In addition to athletes, they have been attended by movie and show business stars, business and government representatives – anyone who wants to draw public attention to the problem of including people with developmental disabilities in ordinary life.

Helping people with special needs: what is Coca-Cola already doing in Russia?

• Coca-Cola Russia has been actively supporting the Special Olympics movement since 2015.
• The largest block of social investment spending in 2018, i.e. 45% of the total amount, Coca-Cola Russia invested in the development of an inclusive society.
• With its support, inclusive parks are being created, and soccer and hockey unified matches are being held.
• In 2018, the traditional “Christmas Caravan” was held in an inclusive format for the first time, and this will now be a regular occurrence.

Read more about how Coca-Cola Russia has contributed to the development of an inclusive society and other social and environmental issues in the interactive report. Choose a topic of interest and learn more about it.

How can we help people with special needs?

• Change your own attitude. To do this, you can stop avoiding socializing with special people and avoid using inappropriate language about them. Do not call them inferior or disabled. Start with yourself, share it with others – then the world will gradually become a better place.
• Give the gift of opportunity. Make a donation on the Special Olympics website (there is a “Donate” function at the bottom of the page, and then you will receive an email with the details of the CO in Russia).
• Get closer. You can volunteer at unified matches or as a coach. Special Olympics welcomes people to help special athletes practice. www.specialolympics.ru – there’s also a “Become a Unified Partner” or “Become a Coach” function.
• Support. Special Olympics organizes unifide matches and other inclusive events in Russian cities. Come cheer on the athletes!

The global trend in the company’s work today is awareness. Coca-Cola Russia not only implements social initiatives in support of inclusive sports, but also cares about the environment through numerous projects and actions. Check whether you could manage such a large company with benefits not only for the business, but also for the people around you.