Some 7,000 athletes are competing in the October 2-11 Special
Olympics Summer Games in Shanghai and about 40,000 volunteers have
been motivated to serve the athletes.
"The Special Olympics gives me a brand-new perspective to look
at elsewhere, a chance to care about others," said Zhu Jun, a
journalism student in Fudan University.
Seth Moser-Katz, an American student from University of North
Carolina, came to the Games as a volunteer, admitted that he had
changed a lot in his life because of the athletes and the
Games.
"Many may question why anyone would bother to travel more than
10,000 kilometers across the world to work on such a project that
no one is getting paid for."
"But I found the answer to this question when I saw them play
soccer; these games mean the world to them. They have been
preparing and training for years. When they win a game their
triumph is real."
As posters and advertisements spring up Shanghai streets and the
mascot "Sunshine Baby" (San Mao) beams over at passers-by, the
minority group of intellectual disabled has come into spotlight in
Shanghai.
A survey has shown 92 percent of Shanghai residents are aware of
the Games.
"The Shanghai residents have become more concerned with the
intellectual disabled people because of the Special Olympics, and
the city has become more warm-hearted," taxi driver Zhang Weiyu
said.
During the 10-day Games, activities like "Global Summit for
Health and Welfare of People with Intellectual Disabilities",
"Global Youth Summit" and "Global Family Forum" were also held to
discuss problems about the special group.
The excitement and awareness raised by the 2007 World Games will
endure long after the closing ceremony, resulting in long-term
change and creating solutions that bring people with intellectual
disabilities into the mainstream of community life.
(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2007)