In a significant milestone for disability sport inclusion, Special Olympics Zimbabwe has extended a hand of collaboration to St Giles Rehabilitation Centre for its upcoming Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) slated for 29 July, 1 August 2025. The four-day Training-of-Trainers workshop, to be hosted at Prince Edward High School, aims to usher in a new wave of specialist coaches and service providers equipped to engage athletes with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.
Underpinned by the global Special Olympics mandate of empowering persons with intellectual disabilities through sport, the MATP initiative is specially crafted for athletes who are not yet able to participate in official Olympic-type competitions. Unique in its adaptive approach, the programme enables athletes to train and showcase abilities at their own functional level, prioritising skill development over competitive prowess, and independence over podium placements.
In a letter to the Acting CEO of St Giles, Dr Mazire, Special Olympics Zimbabwe National Director Mrs L. Chikara underscored the importance of the partnership and extended an invitation for both a physiotherapist/occupational therapist and a rehabilitation assistant to participate. The collaboration also includes a proposed practical demonstration day on 31 July, where a 50-member delegation will visit the St Giles Rehabilitation Centre in Milton Park to conduct live sessions with children with limited mobility.
All expenses for the course and visit will be covered by Special Olympics Zimbabwe.
“The main objective is to equip coaches and service providers with the skills to include athletes with severe and profound intellectual disabilities in sport,” explained Mrs Chikara, emphasising that the success of MATP hinges on multi-sectoral cooperation to remove deeply entrenched barriers to participation.
St Giles has expressed optimism. Tsungai Chingosho, a physiotherapist representing the rehabilitation institution at a previous MATP workshop facilitated by trainers from Kenya and attended by delegates from Zambia, described the exposure as “very informative and valuable.”
“We learnt that MATP is about developing specific skills and independence. It promotes physical activity, health, self-esteem, and confidence in children with severe disability,” she said. “Partnering with Special Olympics brings a comprehensive and supportive environment that enhances both physical and emotional development of our athletes.”
The decision by Special Olympics Zimbabwe to rope in St Giles points to a broader strategy of mainstreaming intellectually disabled athletes into holistic service environments. For decades, St Giles Rehabilitation Centre has been a leader in providing therapeutic and rehabilitative services to children who would otherwise be left behind due to financial or geographical obstacles. This places it in a natural position to drive sustained athlete support beyond one-off training events.
Experts see MATP as a linchpin in Zimbabwe’s journey towards genuine inclusion, not just in sport, but national development. By redefining children with intellectual disabilities as athletes, and providing progressive platforms for them to train, play, and belong, Special Olympics Zimbabwe is shifting discourse from charity to empowerment.
As Harare gears up to host international-standard trainers once again at the end of July, expectations are high that this initiative will not simply sharpen the skills of physiotherapists and carers, but also influence policy mindset, trigger investment in inclusive infrastructure, and ultimately create a living testimony that no child is too disabled to participate.
In the spirit of Vision 2030’s commitment to leaving no one behind, MATP is a shining symbol of what happens when hearts, expertise, and opportunity converge, every athlete, every ability, every right to be seen.
