Hi there, 

The Special Olympics Unified Cup 2022 presented by Toyota earlier this month showed the world how the power of sport builds and shapes a diverse community that unites and empowers people of all abilities, from all backgrounds.

It brought players, officials, fans, family, staff, and supporters together from around the globe to celebrate inclusion on and off the football (soccer) pitch. At Special Olympics, “the beautiful game” is made possible by beautiful people. Here are some of their stories:

Radoslava “Radi” Papadopoulos | Goalie | USA
One of the early superstars to emerge from Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 is Special Olympics Utah athlete Radoslava “Radi” Papadopoulos. As the Special Olympics USA Women’s co-captain goalkeeper, she was instrumental in USA’s 3-1 win over Special Olympics Egypt during the first game of the tournament on 31 July. “I wasn’t nervous playing today,” Raddy shared. “I feel pretty good about the win.” Papadopoulos was born in Bulgaria before being adopted at age 12 and moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. The 17-year old first started playing football (Soccer) with her friends in Bulgaria and then joined Special Olympics Utah.

Maumouni Naon | Coach | Burkina Faso
In Maumouni Naon’s 12 years as a Special Olympics Burkina Faso football (soccer) coach, he has coached the national team at three Special Olympics World Games: Los Angeles, Austria and Abu Dhabi. Naon enjoys traveling and getting to meet coaches and athletes from around the world. But even more than that, he is proud to see how his athletes and Unified partners help each other to be better on and off the field. Naon, who works with FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football), says, “I am passionate about helping those with intellectual disabilities be included in the rest of society.”

Emma Broyles | Special Olympics Champion Ambassador & Miss America 2022
Emma Broyles grew up watching her older brother Brendan participate in various Special Olympics sports. When she became a coach for the Special Olympics Anchorage swim team that competed in the 2018 Special Olympics Alaska State Games, Broyles took special joy from getting to boss her brother around in the pool. “My coaching style was ‘hands-on’ and I often got in the water to demonstrate what I was teaching,” Broyles said. At the Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022, Broyles spent time at both the women’s and men’s matches. “The level of competition is a lot higher than many people would expect. Plus, it’s wonderful to see the level of sportsmanship,” Broyles said. “All of the competitors from opposing teams treat each other with kindness.”

These participants and many more made the Special Olympics Unified Cup 2022 an event to remember. Take a moment to show how proud you are of all the Special Olympics athletes that made history–especially the winning division one teams from Guatemala and Jamaica!

WAY TO GO, ATHLETES! >> [link removed]

Thank you,

- The Team at Special Olympics

Special Olympics
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