Countdown to the Games
0 DAYS
0 HRS
0 MINS
0 SECS
17-25 June 2023

Corporate Volunteering

Team building - but make a difference!

 
Feel the spirit of the Special Olympics movement and get involved with your company in the world's largest inclusive sports event.

Are you interested? Then send us a message via our contact form below.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Berlin!

 

Click to play the video Image clickable with Play icon
Activate Video
Please confirm that you would like to view our content.
#Berlin2022: Corporate Volunteering (accessibe)

Contact us

Declaration of Consent
Please select an option
The photo shows athlete Anna Wyrzgol from Special Olympics Lower Saxony. She is happy, raises her arms and smiles at the camera.
1  of  9
On the photo, there are five corporate volunteers standing in front of a Special Olympics National Games Berlin 2022 banner, smiling towards the camera and wearing volunteer clothes.
2  of  9
The photo shows the Closing Ceremony of the National Games in Berlin. A large stage is set up directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate and hundreds of people celebrate together.
3  of  9
The photo shows two people from behind. On the left is a Special Olympics swimmer and on the right a volunteer who has her arm around the athlete.
4  of  9
The photo shows four people at a Berlin metro station, posing in front of an advert poster for the National Games Berlin 2022. All four are corporate volunteers enjoying Berlin in their free time.
5  of  9
A Basketball player tries to score during a match.
6  of  9
On the photo you can see four people. In the foreground there are two girls and a young man holding each other by the shoulders and doing a polonaise. They are smiling.
7  of  9
The photo shows five corporate volunteers during the National Games Berlin 2022. They are sitting on the stands and smiling towards the camera.
8  of  9
On the photo, there is a cyclist hugging another person with joy after finishing her competition successfully.
9  of  9
1  of  9

An experience that lasts

A corporate volunteer’s perspective from the National Games 2022

 
So here we are! 7 incredible days have passed with countless sporting competitions, memories, experiences and lessons learnt about inclusion and sport. To put it into words is already a challenge, but I will give it a go.

My corporate volunteering journey started several months ago with the application experience, which was super straightforward and enjoyable with a team always ready to help.

But back to the Games themselves. Below are a few of my thoughts about sports, inclusion and Berlin from the week of the National Games - and of course, why you should volunteer next year!
 

1. When a city is together and united, we are truly unbeatable

When we arrived two days before the Games, you could already sense that a festival was taking place. Every street corner was draped in advertisements, Brandenburg Gate was setting stage and you couldn’t walk 5 minutes in Berlin without seeing the Special Olympics.

Apart from adverts, the sheer number of local and international organizations, corporate and nonprofits taking part and supporting has been spectacular. Just seeing the lengths and measures the city is taking for inclusion is a benchmark to being truly unbeatable.

On the photo, there are five people taking a selfie at the Opening Ceremony. They are smiling and having fun. All five are corporate volunteers.

 
2. Unified Sports® are the way forward for inclusion!

It was a phenomenal experience from start to finish across all the sports. Watching the competitiveness, the closeness, the rivalries and the fans of all the Unified Sports® was a true leveler. To me, it embodied the inclusive experience of having everybody with all abilities on the same pitch, loving the game and respecting each other.

The tension of the results was certainly felt throughout with wild celebrations for a win and emotional embraces over a loss. If this is what we saw in 2022, I can’t wait to see what 2023 brings at the World Games.
 

3. A smile goes a long way

Being a volunteer at the Games is not just an opportunity to help a specific team but the job is so much more. You might work with one team in the morning but outside your role, you are the friendly face for the athletes, their families and friends.

One of the most meaningful experiences of our week has been when we were spectators, cheering on our favorite athletes, getting to know them personally and supporting their journey to the finals!
 

4. There’s something special about being in a global community

Sport is an avenue to capture hearts and minds but what’s unique here has been the global community of the Special Olympics. There are different countries, cultures, disabilities, thoughts and talent levels but everybody has one goal – to be a part of it.

The Special Olympics has ingrained a culture of togetherness that is very rarely seen and is a movement that must be replicated in every sporting and non-sporting event.
 

5. Don’t forget to not throw away your water bottle!

Berlin and Germany takes recycling and environmental consciousness seriously, very seriously. If you’ve made it this far and are already planning your trip to Berlin, don’t forget to start practicing not throwing away your water bottle and recycling it. Actually, it's quite fun after a while.
 

It has truly been an honor and a privilege to do my small part with the Special Olympics, the athletes, the families and supporters and I can’t wait to do it all again next year at the World Games!

 

Text by Ilan Fisher, corporate volunteer during the Special Olympics National Games Berlin 2022.