Special Olympics SVG on Healthy Athletes Walking Challenge

WITH THE AIM of creating awareness among the Vincentian public, and greater visibility of Special Olympics SVG, a ‘Healthy Athletes Walking Challenge’ has been launched.

The initiative, undertaken by the national organization for Special Olympics involves a walking challenge, whereby for four days participants will each day make a minimum of 10,000 steps.

Hence, from Monday to Thursday for the next six weeks, participants will embark on the challenge.

The first taste of the challenge, though, took place last Saturday, April 26, 2025, when members of Special Olympics SVG, staged a symbolic walk from Frenches House to the Cruise Ship Terminal and back to the starting point.

Addressing members present at Saturday’s launch, National Director of Special Olympics, Sezevra Joseph in broadening the challenge said, “We are going to ask the public to join us. They may not necessarily walk with us on afternoons, but they will walk and make 10,000 footsteps”.

Joseph thus hinted that apart from promoting health among its members, the community engagement and inclusion are critical elements of the overall objective to build Special Olympics here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“The Walking Challenge is part of our 2025 Healthy Athletes initiative, aiming to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through wellness programmes and community participation,” Joseph added.

The Special Olympians on the symbolic walk were presented with smart watches to track and record their steps and record their accomplishment on the SVCG Special Olympic SVG’s Facebook page.