Tennis star Imra de Wolf in particular beams with happiness. “Haarlem is my hometown!” She now lives in Hoofddorp, but the Special Olympics is now something for her to look forward to.
Handball player Lotte from Amsterdam and skater Peter from Noordwijk are also enthusiastic about the opportunity to participate in their own region. Such a big match means a lot to them. “Then you can participate in something again and then you belong somewhere.”
More important than winning
In the more than twenty sports that are on the program next year, it is mainly about participating. Yet Lotte and Peter know what it means to win. Both have already won medals at national and international competitions.
The Special Olympics National Games will take place from June 12 to 14. Beforehand, the committee wants to conduct a trial run with Regional Games. Royal HFC’s experience with the annual largest G-class football tournament comes in handy.
The expertise of tennis club Smash in Heemstede and Haarlem-Noord, where only tennis players with an intellectual disability play, is also of great value.
In any case, Imra, who also plays tennis at Smash, can count on a large fan base along the way. “I hope so, yes.”