In a week that will be remembered as a landmark for disability inclusion in sport, Special Olympics Zimbabwe, in partnership with St Giles Medical Rehabilitation Centre, rolled out the Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP), a groundbreaking initiative unlocking athletic opportunities for individuals with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.
From 29 July to 1 August 2025, the four-day Training-of-Trainers workshop at Prince Edward High School brought together an unprecedented coalition of physiotherapists, caregivers, coaches, and family members. The programme, led by experts from across Africa, was anchored in a simple but transformative belief: no athlete is too disabled to participate.
Day one opened with an orientation on Special Olympics, led by Mr Charles Nyambi, President of Special Olympics Africa, and co-presenter Tanya Njengende. Their sessions contextualised MATP within the global Special Olympics mission of empowering individuals through sport, setting the tone for the practical and emotional journey ahead.
The second and third days were spearheaded by Vincent, Kenya’s Sports Director and a certified trainer for MATP. His sessions revealed a truth often overlooked in sport development, that athletes who are wheelchair-bound or bedridden can still engage meaningfully in physical activity. Through adaptive techniques and specially designed activities, participants learned to create opportunities for skill development, independence, and joy, even for those with the most profound limitations.
The workshop culminated on Friday with a practical demonstration at St Giles. This was no ordinary training day. Athletes from both St Giles and L’Arche Zimbabwe, many of them wheelchair-bound and previously excluded from structured sport, participated in warm-ups, training drills, and adapted games. The emotional resonance was undeniable, smiles breaking through years of silence, excitement lighting up faces, and an overwhelming sense of belonging filling the air.
The day concluded with medal presentations, not for competition’s sake, but to honour participation, effort, and the shared human right to play. For many athletes and families, it was the first time they had seen sport framed not as a privilege for the able-bodied, but as a universal right.
MATP now joins Special Olympics Zimbabwe’s 10 established sports, expanding the offering to 11 disciplines that include soccer, bocce, golf, athletics, volleyball, and basketball. Its introduction is a strategic leap towards the country’s Vision 2030 goals of leaving no one behind, particularly those living with severe intellectual disabilities.
Mrs L. Chikara, National Director of Special Olympics Zimbabwe, described the programme as “key to dismantling entrenched barriers” and called for sustained multi-sectoral collaboration. For St Giles, the partnership signals a deepened commitment to holistic rehabilitation, marrying medical care with opportunities for physical and emotional development.
What happened last week was more than training; it was the planting of seeds for a cultural shift. By redefining what it means to be an athlete, MATP is helping Zimbabwe write a new narrative, one where ability is measured not by limitation, but by opportunity.
