Gütersloh Welcomes Estonian Delegation for Special Olympics World Games Preparations

Preparations are in full swing: from June 12th to 15th, the city will host the delegation from Estonia in the run-up to the Special Olympics World Games Berlin.

They send a strong signal for inclusion in sport worldwide and also radiate to Gütersloh: the Special Olympics World Games from June 17th to 25th, 2023 in Berlin, in which 7000 people with mental or multiple disabilities take part. Among them 32 athletes from Estonia and their companions. She welcomes the city of Gütersloh as the official host town of the Special Olympics on the evening of June 12 in Gütersloh. The city of Gütersloh, with the support of local partners and volunteers, has put together a program that offers the best training opportunities as well as encounters and leisure activities so that the group of around 50 people can prepare for the big event in the best possible way and at the same time come into contact with people and culture . The public is also invited – to a concert with the Gütersloh band “New Soul” on Dreiecksplatz on the evening of June 14 with free admission.

“As a host town, we are setting an important example for inclusion in sport and in society”

“Exactly one year ago we started planning with the news that we could be host town for the delegation from Estonia. And now that there are only a few days left until our guests arrive, the preparations are of course in full swing,” says Mayor Norbert Morkes. “As a host town, we are sending an important and clear signal for inclusion, in sport and in society as a whole. I look forward to the time together.”

Kick-off for networking local actors in Gütersloh – inclusive sports day in August

Henning Matthes, first councilor and head of the sports department of the city of Gütersloh, emphasizes: “Being the host town is a great opportunity to put inclusive sports in the spotlight and to enable encounters between people with and without disabilities and from different nations. For us as the city of Gütersloh, participation in the host town program is also a starting signal for long-term, inclusive sports projects and networking of stakeholders here on site.” with players from clubs, associations, institutions, the disabled advisory board and others took place in January. An “inclusive sports day” is planned for August 12 on the SV Spexard grounds. Sports offers for people with and without disabilities are presented there and you can try them out as you wish.

Training in ten sports in the morning, leisure activities in the afternoon

The Estonian delegation, led by Tiina Möll, National Director Special Olympics Estonia, will arrive at Dusseldorf Airport on Monday, June 12 and check in at the Flussbett Hotel and Hotel Holiday Inn late in the evening. On Tuesday, June 13th, and on Wednesday, June 14th, training is announced in the morning. The city of Gütersloh is providing nine sports facilities for this purpose, eight in Gütersloh and one in neighboring Bielefeld-Umummeln. The 13 male and 17 male athletes from Estonia, plus two supporting sports partners in bowling, will compete in ten sports at the Special Olympics World Games: basketball (with ten active members, the largest team within the delegation), swimming, track and field, badminton, boccia, and bowling , cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, judo and artistic gymnastics. In the afternoons, a visit to the Miele company with museum and factory on Tuesday and the Gütersloh value district and its facilities on Wednesday are on the agenda. At the official reception of the city of Gütersloh on Tuesday evening in the Miele canteen, at a small boccia tournament on Wednesday morning with mixed teams of Estonian guests, local politicians, club and administration representatives and finally at the public concert on Wednesday on Dreiecksplatz, there is plenty of opportunity to get to know each other , exchange and fun. Interpreters are involved everywhere. On the morning of Thursday, June 15, the delegation boarded the coach again – this time with Berlin as its destination.

Live music on Wednesday, June 14 with “New Soul” on Dreiecksplatz

All residents of Gütersloh are invited to Dreiecksplatz for the farewell evening for the Estonian visitors. From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the popular Gütersloh band “New Soul” plays one well-known hit in music history after the other. Their songs deviate from the original without losing sight of the magic of the Motown days. And the whole thing always with the very own East Westphalian “success guarantee”. Live music in the open air and without admission: dancing and enjoying is the order of the day! In between, short discussions in front of the stage will highlight the topic of “sport and inclusion”.

Thanks to partners, volunteers and supporters

“The varied program would not be possible without partners, supporters and our volunteers,” emphasizes Heiko Gottwald, head of the city’s sports department, who was in charge of organizing the Estonians’ stay. “We would like to thank you very much for your support.” In particular, the value district of Gütersloh gGmbH, a social service company with 2,500 employees with and without disabilities, was and is still available to those responsible in the city with advice and action when planning the inclusive program for the guests . “With its expertise, the value circle was an important project partner, for example when it came to the question of what conditions must be provided in the sports facilities so that athletes with different disabilities can train there,” says Heiko Gottwald. The value circle is involved in the design of the leisure program as well as the Miele company, which welcomes the Estonian delegation to visit the Miele Museum and a virtual factory tour. The companies Bertelsmann, Miele and Rewe as well as Stadtwerke Gütersloh and Sparkasse Gütersloh-Rietberg also support the host town Gütersloh.

And last but not least, around 30 volunteers play a large part in ensuring that the athletes in Gütersloh feel comfortable. The work of the volunteers ranges from helping guests check in and out of the hotel, to providing food, to accompanying them to all events. Head of Sports Henning Matthes: “We are very happy about this commitment in the name of inclusion and hope that it will also be a nice and unforgettable experience for the volunteers to be an active part of the host town Gütersloh.” After the departure of the Estonians, the City of Gütersloh, among other things, with a joint thank-you lunch at the river bed hotel for the helpers.