A joint relay with Special Olympics athletes and the big stars of the swimming world sent an important signal for inclusion at the end of the first day of the FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin. Superstars such as world champion Thomas Ceccon (ITA), Matthew Sates (RSA), Hali Flickinger (USA) or Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR), as well as German figureheads Sarah Wellbrock, Isabel Gose, Lukas Märtens and Florian Wellbrock, each took turns swimming a lane with the people with intellectual or multiple disabilities who are preparing for the Special Olympics World Games next year in Berlin (June 17-25, 2023).
There was a lot of applause from the full stands, even though Doreen Glaubitz, Claudia Wolfsteller, Lukas Dietrich or Dominic Klug naturally don’t reach the speeds of the world’s best. But that’s not what it was all about this time, but rather the unifying power of sport. Anyone who saw how everyone hugged and high-fived each other after crossing the finish line could feel how strong this power is immediately.
“It impresses me how people with impairments obviously go through life much more easily. We always worry so much about things that are actually secondary, that we shouldn’t waste energy on. The athletes we just started with, for example, express such a zest for life. We can learn so much from them. We don’t have to get worked up about so many little things. I find it very impressive how they go through life, show up here for the relay, face up to it, even though they were all super nervous before the start,” said Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Wellbrock afterwards.
Her husband, Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock, also enjoyed this special competition. “We introduced ourselves briefly, talked to each other, and noticed right away that the athletes were very excited, but also very interested. They wanted to know a lot of things, like where we were from. I was in the relay with Hali Flickinger from the U.S., so I had to do a little interpreting right away because the language barrier was there,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m always totally good at letting go in these encounters. Actually, I’m rather, let’s say, stuffy, and I try to meet the expectations of my counterpart perfectly. With the Special Olympics athletes, I can let go of that. It doesn’t matter if I’m not perfect. I am accepted just as I am, no matter what quirks and faults I bring with me. And I accept that just the same. That give-and-take is totally valuable.” Just like this unified relay at the World Cup.
