Brightfield Shadi, Special Olympics Botswana



Special Olympics International Global MessengersBrightfield Shadi, Special Olympics Botswana02794000Brightfield is from Serowe, Botswana. In 2008, he found a Special Olympics program which changed his life. At age 18, he began in athletics - the 100-meter and 200-meter - and won silver at the 2011 World Summer Games in Athens. Then it was on to football (soccer) and volleyball. He is now coaching a unified volleyball team that will compete in the 2015 World Summer Games. Brightfield loves being a coach because he can bring the power of Special Olympics sports to more people with intellectual disabilities.He has also gone through athlete leadership training and enjoys public speaking. When he is not involved in sports, coaching, or working with the athlete leadership council, Brightfield is employed as a full time assistant teacher, appointed through the National Service Program. He also has a certificate in carpentry and screen prints T-shirts to sell in his community.Chanchai Kaemkaew, Special Olympics Thailand04191000Chanchai is from Chang Mai, Thailand and joined Special Olympics when he was just 13 years old.? Playing sports – his favorite is football - has enabled him to be stronger and given him the confidence to seek out leadership opportunities within Special Olympics Thailand.?Chanchai has earned 9 medals in football and?has participated as a member of the National and Regional Games Organizing Committees, as a regional sub-committee member and Board Member for Special Olympics Thailand.? He has been trained in speech and governance, volunteer training, as an Assistant Coach for Special Olympics Young Athletes, serves as a member of the Asia Pacific athlete input council and has given numerous speeches at a variety of events.In addition to playing football, Chanchai?works full time at Hana Microelectronics Company in production.?He believes in the world today, there is opportunity for everyone.David Egan, Special Olympics Virginia, USA-6356540500David is from Virginia, USA and first got involved in Special Olympics at a very young age. As an athlete, he competes in swimming, soccer, softball and tennis. David enjoys playing Unified Soccer and Unified Softball on a team coached by his brother. He credits Special Olympics for “giving him a voice” and has been actively using his voice at various public speaking engagements. Over the years, David has volunteered at two World Games and participated in two Athlete Congresses. He serves on several boards to promote abilities and collaborate with other advocacy groups.?Recently, he was accepted as a Joseph P. Kennedy Fellow by the Foundation Trustees and is serving this year on Capitol Hill at the Ways and Means Committee.?David works at Booz-Allen Hamilton and enjoys time with family and friends. Pam Langille, Special Olympics New Hampshire, USA027241500Pam is from New Hampshire, USA and currently competes in Basketball but also has history of training and competing in Unified Golf and Unified Triathlons both with Special Olympics. She started with Special Olympics when she was 8 after hearing about it through her elementary school teacher. She chose Basketball because she played JV Basketball in high school and because her family is very sports orientated. Special Olympics has done many things for her including teaching her to overcome her shyness. Pam competed in the first ever Unified Triathlon during the 2014 USA Games.?Pam’s hobbies include bike riding, walking her Golden Retriever, Gabe and helping out at Sunday school. She works at a Special Olympics New Hampshire as a receptionist. She is the youngest of 12 and has a twin sister, Patty who competes in Special Olympics as well.Omar El Shenawy, Special Olympics Egypt029400500Omar is from Cairo, Egypt and currently competes in Special Olympics Equestrian and Aquatics. Omar believes Special Olympics has impacted his life for the better including giving him more confidence to meet people and socialize. His favorite sport is equestrian because he loves horses and horse-back riding improves his strength. His proudest sports moment and personal best was winning the Arabian Championship in 2010.When not competing, Omar enjoys music and playing drums in two different bands. He also enjoys working out at a local gym where he is able to exercise along people without disabilities and make friends. He is a student at the Canadian International College in Cairo, majoring in mass communications. Omar recently completed a one month training at an Egyptian public relations company. He travels for Special Olympics Egypt, having given speeches at several events including the regional Unified Football Cup.Johanna Pramstaller, Special Olympics Austria01079500Johanna is from Vandans, Bludenz, Austria. Johanna hails from a family of nine, which includes three other siblings with intellectual disabilities. Johanna credits Special Olympics with changing her life by helping her be more independent, developing friendships, and learning to trust more.?Johanna is very competitive and competes in many sports (alpine skiing, swimming, floorball, athletics, golf, fitness). She is a four-time World Games athlete, including the 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013 events. She also plays Unified Sports and won silver in Unified golf at the 2011 World Games.Johanna is an athlete who focuses on training year-round, setting goals for herself. In addition to her involvement with Special Olympics, Johanna works in a nursing home Monday through Friday, enjoys meeting friends, spending holidays in Italy and making looming bands (bracelets).Selina Ao Ieong, Special Olympics Macau01714500Selina is from Macau, China and currently competes in Bocce. She started with Special Olympics when she was 16 after hearing about it through school. Special Olympics has done many things for her by allowing her to accept her disability and to come out to the world about her struggles. Special Olympics has taught her to be proud and know that she is capable of doing something that has worth. She also credits Special Olympics with allowing her to make new friends and to be healthier. Her personal best in was two gold medals in Bocce that she received during the 2011 World Games. She has competed in the World Games in 2011 and 2013 Regional Games in Australia.Selina enjoys watching movies, singing and surfing the internet.? She works at Special Olympics Macau as a clerk. Jason Gieschen Special Olympics Nebraska, USA762003873500Jason is from Nebraska, USA and has been actively engaged in 11 sports.Special Olympics has helped him overcome his biggest challenge of being told that he cannot do anything and that he cannot be independent. His personal best in sports is achieving 280 lbs. on the dead lift and 130 lbs. on the bench press. Jason most vivid memory is the experience he shared with his brother-in-law as they competed in a Unified Golf tournament and won gold. Jason leads a very active life outside of sports. He works full time at an Educational Service Unit as a Documentation coordinator and is an active public speaker when he is not at work. He is also a talented photographer with a keen eye for taking landscape pictures.?Jason also enjoys singing the National Anthem at Special Olympics statewide events.024955500Lize Weerdenburg, Special Olympics NetherlandsLize is from Utrecht, The Netherlands and currently competes in speed skating and previously competed in Athletics. She chose Speed Skating because she likes to go fast and when skating, she is able to focus on the sport and forget about other troubles. Her biggest sports achievement was winning 2 Golds and a Bronze in short track during the 2009 World Winter Games.?Following these Games, Lize was selected to serve as the National Ambassador of Special Olympics Netherlands to the 2013 World Winter Games.Lize has a very active life outside of sports. She works at a restaurant/cafeteria at a university where she cooks, preps food, and is a cashier. She also acts, having been featured in two television series that aired in The Netherlands. She also enjoys drawing, music, dancing, cooking, and computer work. Nitzeida Galvez, Special Olympics Panama-3429010287000Nitzeida is from Panama City, Panama joined Special Olympics in 1995 and has been training ever since, starting out in athletics and later moving to tennis and bowling.Special Olympics changed her life – showing her a path to success and even gave her grandmother – her primary caretaker – a support network while learning to raise a child with special needs. Nitzeida says her life became full – with many friends, both athletes and coaches. Since her grandmother’s passing Nitzeida continues along her path to independence, which started with cooking school a few years ago. This led to a fantastic job: Nitzeida is on the cooking staff for Panama’s president. She says it is hard work, but she loves it.?One of her goals is to tell more people about Special Olympics health programming. It was a Healthy Athletes screening that helped get her own eye-problem diagnosed.Stephanie Handojo, Special Olympics Indonesia171454318000Stephanie is from Jakarta, Indonesia and competes in aquatics. Stephanie is an accomplished athlete, winning gold medals in the 2011 Special Olympics World Games in Athens and the 2013 Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games in Australia, and also is an inspiring leader in the Special Olympics community. As Youth Leader of Athlete Leadership Program, she works with youth, with and without intellectual disabilities, to promote Special Olympics in schools and communities. Stephanie was also chosen by UNICEF and the British Council as the Torch Bearer during the London Olympics in 2012.When she's not busy with Special Olympics or athlete leadership, Stephanie enjoys playing the piano, cooking, badminton and socializing with her friends. She even owns a laundry business in Jakarta and manages the team of employees as if they were family. Yoona Kim, Special Olympics Republic of Korea03111500Yoona is from Seoul, Korea and has been participating in Special Olympics since elementary school.?Special Olympics is a family affair for the entire family.?Yoona's mother is Chairperson of Special Olympics Korea and Yoona's brother organized a unified basketball league. Yoona started swimming for Special Olympics Korea eight years ago and is an accomplished athlete who is also involved in many leadership activities within the Special Olympics movement.? Yoona served as a co-chair during the Youth Activation Summit at the 2013 Special Olympics World Games in Pyeongchang.Today, her passion is spreading the word about Special Olympics Unified Sports and playing the drums in her band, Yoonaband a band of girls with and without intellectual disabilities. She is currently a senior in college, majoring in music. Special Olympics gave me the confidence to find my true passions and I'm forever grateful. ................
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