When Mayor Stephan Neher asked the athletes from Belize to keep quiet, they were only ten minutes in Rottenburg City Hall on Tuesday, June 13th. They had told the Mayor that the Belizean Carnival was celebrated in the Jamaican style and lasted a month. “Don’t tell the guilds, otherwise they’ll want a month of carnival too,” joked Neher. As soon as the interpreter translated his words, the athletes laughed.
Rottenburg is the host town for a delegation from Belize who will play boccia at the Special Olympics in Berlin (see info box). While at the Paralympics it is mainly people with physical disabilities who compete in competitive sports, the Special Olympics involves people with mental disabilities or multiple disabilities. What is new this year is that the athletes, their coaches and supervisors will spend a few days in a German city beforehand. “The aim is to draw attention to inclusion and real participation in the long term,” explained the municipal sports coordinator Anne Schröder, who organized the stay with volunteer coordinator Karin Frech. They were supported, for example, by the integration and handicapped advisory board, the municipal youth department and several Rottenburg clubs. The pupils of the Weggentalschule Rottenburg, a special educational learning and counseling center, also got involved: on Tuesday, the seventh and eighth graders presented their town with posters and short explanations in English. “I’m glad it worked out,” said Hannah Lang. Classmate Justin Rohr praises how interesting the arrival of the athletes is.
After the press conference, the athletes and students continued together: they visited the Roman Museum and the guild house. In the afternoon, the delegation played volleyball and boccia with students from the Linden School and the boccia group in the Schänzle. Afterwards there was a barbecue in the youth center.
On Wednesday they meet the Tübingen delegation from Botswana and train in the stadium, in the afternoon they explore Rottenburg and punt there.
The athletes set out for the competitions on Thursday: “I have mixed feelings,” said Tiwannie Laurie, who competes three times. She feels anticipation, but is also nervous. Although she’s only been there a day, the 19-year-old said she likes the Rottenburg food and architecture. Will she win anything in the competitions? “A gold medal,” exclaimed Maxine McKay, the leader of the group – and Laurie beamed.