blog
A week is over at the Special Olympics World Games: Sportschau reporter Sebastian Stuart drives to the most remote venue and draws a personal interim conclusion.
As a sports reporter, I’ve been on the road for the Sportschau and rbb at the Special Olympics World Games since Sunday. Together with Uri and Lynn, two very nice colleagues, I was on the grounds of Messe Berlin, one of the most important venues for the Special Olympics, on Sunday to produce Instagram stories for the sports show.
Across Berlin for texts and TV reports
I was also able to see the international media center and get a good impression of the atmosphere and the daily work of the reporters. Using badminton as an example, I was able to orientate myself on the difficult classification system of the Special Olympics. Later I wrote a text for the sports show.
I went to different places and watched sports. I was also able to meet many international athletes and was able to interview some. There was a lot going on: writing texts, producing TV reports and going from sport to sport across town. This is very exciting and a lot of fun!
A trip to Brandenburg
On Wednesday I went with a camera team to the only competition location in Brandenburg and was able to get to know a sport that was exotic for me: golf. I was surprised and impressed that golf is also played by special athletes. Up until now I thought the sport was elitist. However, in an interview with Christian Schmidt, who supports the German golfer Matthias Schott, I found out that so far only a few clubs offer golf for people with disabilities.
Matthias Schott is lucky that he can play golf through his workshop. Around 150 athletes take part in the golf competitions. The long journey to Bad Saarow was worth it for this experience! This gave me a better understanding of how the athletes who do this distance every day must feel.
Even in the limelight
The last few days have been very exciting for me and I have been able to get to know a lot of new things. When I asked rbb, I didn’t expect to be right in the middle of the action. Suddenly I show up at a live broadcast of the morning show and am being interviewed by former track and field athlete Frank Busemann. Many acquaintances and friends have contacted me and given me positive feedback. That makes me a little bit proud. But all the hustle and bustle and the limelight also exhaust me.
Fight for more recognition
Nevertheless, I am aware that people with disabilities are still only marginal figures in sport. Many sports facilities are not barrier-free at all. With my work as a reporter, I want to help improve this situation. It made me sad when an acquaintance gave me a talk about how important she thought Special Olympics was, but then said she wasn’t interested in the sporting events.
I want to fight for the fact that we athletes with disabilities experience more recognition, are better supported and there are more offers. Hopefully, Special Olympics can help bring about sustainable development. But that’s the subject of my next article.
About the author
Sebastian Stuart is 24 years old and lives in Berlin. He lives with Asperger’s Syndrome. Sebastian has been a competitive athlete for almost ten years and is one of the best rowers with a mental disability in Germany. However, since rowing is not part of the Special Olympics World Games program, he instead plays the frenzied reporter for the sports show. The texts he writes during the World Games are only lightly edited.
The schedule of the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin at a glance.