With the mission of benefiting children and teenagers with and without disabilities throughout Panama, Special Olympics Latin America brought together 130 Directors, Teachers of Physical Education, and Special Education from public schools selected for the implementation of the Unified Schools Methodology in Panama.

Under the implementation of the Unified Schools Project, which has the financial support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Special Olympics seeks to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities through the implementation of this model in 60 public schools in the country. Members of the Ministry of Education of Panama (MEDUCA), the National Disability Secretariat (SENADIS), the Panamanian Institute of Special Habilitation (IPHE), and the Regional Scout Movement participated.

Young Athletes Regional Workshop

Young Athletes Coordinators from 20 countries in Latin America met in Panama to participate in a dynamic workshop where they received new support tools for the implementation of this Special Olympics program and shared knowledge and experiences. One of new support tools was the Family Guide in Spanish. Young Athletes develops the skills and abilities of children with and without intellectual disability between 2 and 7 years old and to incorporate them as future athletes of the movement.

Guatemala supports inclusive soccer

From June 1 to 10, 2018, nearly 200 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities will share the joy of soccer in the "II Central American and Caribbean Special Olympics Unified Soccer Tournament" in Guatemala. The Municipality of Guatemala, the Olympic Committee and the Autonomous Sports Confederation of Guatemala (CDAG) joined this great event and showed their support during the visit of the Special Olympics Latin America team in Guatemala City with the objective of evaluating and providing continuity to the organization of the event. The Doroteo Guamuch National Stadium, the Erick Barrondo Stadium, and the Estadio del Ejército Stadium will be some of the sports venues where athletes between 16 and 23 years old will show teamwork and their skills in soccer.

From volunteer to trainer in Special Olympics Panama

"The change from volunteer to coach requires a lot of responsibility because you stop thinking about yourself to give the best to the Special Olympics athletes," says Harmodio Harris, an 18-year-old student who started volunteering with Special Olympics Panama at 15. Then he became coach for bocce in the Panama Metro area.

"Being a coach is a giving up on yourself. It also makes you creative because each athlete has a different personality and abilities. For example, to train an athlete with autism in bocce I had to teach him discipline through a pirate game. The athletes were the commanders, the coach was the captain, and the bocce balls were the boats. The objective: to shoot down the boats with a cannon."

By being a trainer Harmodio has worked in his patience and his abilities to problem-solving skills. He encourages all youth to be part of Special Olympics.

Young Salvadorian soccer players will travel to Holland

With the purpose of integrating youth with and without intellectual disabilities, as well as creating opportunities for Salvadoran athletes with soccer skills, the Seen Art Foundation signed an agreement with Special Olympics El Salvador. A Technical Evaluation Committee (AEFES, Seen Art, and the Dutch Consulate) will select 15 youth from different soccer schools across the country, between 16 and 20 years old. The chosen candidates will travel to Holland in the month of May 2018 along with 10 Special Olympics athletes to participate in a high level cultural and sports exchange with the Dutch teams.

Over a thousand athletes participated in the Special Olympics Costa Rica National Games

From December 13 to 15, 1,600 athletes from Special Olympics Costa Rica competed in 19 sports disciplines in the Special Olympics National Games. The events took place in Alajuela and its main venue was the Monserrat sports center. Each competition was filled with emotion, adrenaline, dedication, and courage. The Unified Football finals were also held at the Labrador de Coronado and Nicolás Masís de Escazú Stadiums and the Belen Sports Center. Thanks to the 500 volunteers and the coaches who put all their efforts so that each athlete received the best attention.

Argentina and Chile Play Unified
Special Olympics Chile and Special Olympics Argentina got together for a sports and cultural exchange in Chile. From La Pampa, Argentina a delegation of 37 from the sports school for people with intellectual disabilities "El Rincon de Todos" joined the athletes of the Municipal Lucio Fariña Fernandez de Quillota in Chile to participate in sports activities, share a BBQ, exchange gifts, cultural events, and dances. Besides practicing sports, they had fun with traditional typical Chilean dances such as Cueca. Argentina didn’t stay behind and they all started dancing with a cheerful batucada.

Strengthening friendship ties through fishing

In the framework of its 73rd anniversary, the Paraguayan Hunting and Fishing Association (APCP) held the VII Beach Fishing Tournament for Special Olympics. The fishermen of the APCP and more than 40 athletes from Special Olympics Paraguay shared summer activities, as part of a five-year-old tradition. After the award ceremony, they ended the day with a lunch where they strengthened bonds of friendship and camaraderie.

Inclusive run in Xochimilco, México

From the emblematic Rowing and Canoeing Track "Virgilio Uribe" in Mexico City, the company Servicio Continental de Mensajería (SCM) invited the Special Olympics Mexico athletes to their 5K Pavotón race. Athletes with and without intellectual disabilities participated, achieving a true unified run. Companies like SCM choose to include and incorporate people with intellectual disabilities within their workforce. Such is the case of Armando Hernández, who has excelled in Special Olympics Mexico.

Mexicans get ready for the Special Olympics National Games 2018

The Special Olympics State Games took place in preparation for the Special Olympics Mexico National Games 2018 and it included unified partners for the first time. The athletes competed in 10 sports disciplines that took place at the Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" in Mexico City. Additionally, with the participation of 180 athletes, they held the third stage of the sports state, also in preparation for the Games, at the facilities of the Deportiva Enrique Fernández Martínez in the city of León Guanajuato.