Tanya: The three Special Olympics athletes we’re about to meet are part of the Global
Messengers Programme where they get the training and the opportunity to take on leadership
roles.
Rebecca: Hi my name’s Rebecca, I live in Martin, I’m a proud representative of Global
Messenger Programme.
Matt: Hi my name is Matt Aitken, I’m from Dunedin.
Andrew: Hello, my name is Andrew Boyce and I’m from Auckland and I’m proud to be
a Global Messenger.
V/O: When they were kids Matt, Andrew and Rebecca were often sidelined simply because
they had an intellectual disability but Special Olympics New Zealand has recognized their
leadership skills, they’ve been singled out for a high level training course to become
global messengers, ambassadors who will promote the rights of people with intellectual disabilities.
Dan: People with an intellectual disability are often spoken for or often spoken about
– the Special Olympics Global Messengers Programme is all about changing that.
V/O: The trio have come to Wellington for a training programme to groom them for their
new role. Ten Special Olympic athletes from around the country have been chosen as the
first team of Global messengers.
V/O: The Global Messengers will do four workshops to learn the skills they need to go to a new
level in their sport. They’ll build confidence to aim high, to become team captains, coaches
or even serve on a board of directors.
Matt: As I was younger I thought I was the only person that had a disability but as the
years gone by I realized that there was different people that had different disabilities.
V/O: And that’s the point to the Global Messengers programme – raising awareness
of people who live with intellectual disabilities, in part it’s a mentoring scheme. By up-skilling
Matt and giving him confidence he’s able to mentor others creating a ripple effect.
Here in Dunedin Matt’s already putting his skills into practice, he coaches other Special
Olympic athletes and he reckons he gets a whole lot back from his involvement in sport.
Matt I tell them I’m going up to National or South Island – even with Special Olympics
and having my mum coaching they’re coming up to me and saying “hey Matt how’s it
going?” and it’s been a big part of my life ever since.
V/O: Matt’s in his last year at Otago Boys High School, he’s shown himself to be a
leader here too. His schools here as an athlete have earned him school sports awards and he’s
become a prefect.
Clive: He had support from the student body and he had support from the staff and that’s
been about his effect in the school in the years that he’s been here.
Matt: Yeah like year 9 and 10’s looking after me and especially the people who have
got disabilities look after me and see what I can do and what they can do.
V/O: It’s not all easy for Matt, he struggles in the classroom but he’s supported by teacher
aide.
V/O: But he’s achieved level 1 NCEA and astounded his mum who worried about sending
him to such an academic school.
Jan: I want him to go to Otago Boys High School with my friends is what he said to me and
we were adamant that that was a school he wasn’t going to go to and I guess in hindsight
that was just the era that the school was in at the time.
Matt: I’ve done really well in all my classes and even passing level 1 it’s so amazing
what I can do.
Clive: He’s also as you will have noted around the school he’s one of the best-presented
boys in the school, his uniform is always absolutely spotless – he’s a role model.
V/O: So what’s made the difference? The school itself. Everyone from the principal
down has embraced the spirit of inclusion and ensured Matt was well supported so he
could achieve.
V/O: Rebecca has come full circle. She spent several years here at Wellington High and
now she’s helping students one on one with their work. There is bounce in Rebecca’s
step – that’s new found confidence that’s come from knowing she’s making a real difference
in her role as a teacher aide.
Dan: What’s the best part you get to tell people about?
Rebecca: How much the kids improve every day.
V/O: The Global Messengers Programme has shown Rebecca her potential, she’s well aware
of how far she’s come from her own nervous school days.
Rebecca: Kind of a bit shy and just sitting at the back I guess but I want to come out
of my shell.
V/O: The recurrent theme of this story is what’s possible when you remove barriers.
Vicki: There’s an enormous strength and value that she brings because she’s been
a student here and has been in the bays so understands the things that students can and
can’t do I think probably better than the rest of us can… I think some things we take
for granted what’s accessible and Rebecca is also an incredible workhorse – she works
incredibly hard and she has this incredible memory about how things are done and where
things are.
V/O: Andrew Boyce is 27 – older than many of the other Global Messengers, he’s a working
man, he found an employer will to train him and now that boss praises his leadership.
Andy: We work as a team and Andrew helps out with the weaker members of the team and he’s
also very good at coming in when we need help and we’re working on the trees – he’s
a lot more able I should say to come in when we need, as you saw putting wedges in and
such.
V/O: Each of the Global Messengers joined the Special Olympics, as a sporting outlet
but the organization has been a trigger for their confidence.
Matt: To be part of a team, to have fun and it’s not … when you get out there it’s
not by yourself it’s team work and I like being in a team.
Jan: He is a boy who we weren’t expecting to achieve much who has achieved huge amounts.
Andrew: Well these are all my trophies, this one I got for Basketball Player of the Year
and I’m really proud of it.
Dan: How long have you been involved?
Andrew: I’ve been involved since I was 15 so that’s 12 years.
Dan: And over that time you’ve developed as a bit of a leader as well?
Andrew: Yes I coach and I really enjoy that.
V/O: Rebecca started swimming for her health; she was born with Haemoplegic Cerebral Palsy
and has restricted movement in one arm and one leg. Rebecca’s been to the Special Olympic
National championships twice but her goal now is to coach others.
Rebecca: Yeah coaching is a definite option. I can coach the younger ones before my group
so I can go earlier if I want to if they are short staffed.
Glennis: We couldn’t be prouder, this is a child that when she was born we were told
would never walk or talk and we were determined that that wouldn’t be the case and we’ve
worked extremely hard on her but because of her determination she’s got where she is
now and she’s done so many things and she just keeps going and going and we are extremely
proud and for her now to be a global messenger with Special Olympics means she can give something
back which is really wonderful.
Rebecca: I felt very nervous when they interviewed me but when they said that I was going to
be in the programme I thought yes I can do something with this and make it achievable
for me and see more athletes come up in the future.
Pam: That’s really what’s so hard about his involvement in Special Olympics and leading
on to the Global Messenger is that things haven’t always been easy for Andrew, they’ve
always been a struggle but he’s an eternal optimist and he’s worked really hard to
get to where he is.
Jan: I remember when he was diagnosed with having DCM5 Mental Retardation – that take
him home and do with him what you would do with a normal child, he may develop or he
may not.
V/O: In fact he’s probably well ahead of his school mates, determined to be independent
Matt’s already taken the first step – shifting out of the family home and into his own pad
out the back.
Matt: It’s much better living by myself than up in the house with mum and dad and
two sisters – don’t have to listen to them whinge and moan all the time and stuff.
V/O: As for Andrew he certainly doesn’t lack for confidence, he’s joined Toastmasters
and you can be sure he’ll use his global messenger status to drive a change in attitudes.
Andrew: OK this photo here is from the launch of the programme and part of that programme
is the Global Messenger and that’s me. When I went down to Wellington to do a speech in
front of the Prime Minister John Key I was a bit nervous but it went really well.
V/O: It’s a tradition at Otago Boys High School for the prefects to read the school
roll of honour and it’s Matt’s turn to take to the stage.
Matt: I’m not nervous, they told us not to be nervous up in the big audience.
V/O: Matt’s confidence is at an all time high knowing he has new skills acquired from
his training courses.
Matt: Goal: Job, Franklin James…………
Dan: You had a principal, deputy head boy and you…
Matt: Yeah it feels great to start being part of that team.
Dan: Matt’s achievements at this school will have lasting impact, he’s opened the
door ensuring that anybody else that follows in his footsteps will be given the same respect.
Matt: Funny how I used to not like being around people who have disabilities to now I like
being around people with disabilities, it’s great fun.
V/O: But the work of these newly appointed global messengers is only just beginning.
Andrew: Too often people with an intellectual disability are not given the chance to speak;
they’re spoken for or about.
Matt: Special Olympics is a big name out to the world.
Andrew: I’d like to break down the barriers within society that exist around people with
an intellectual disability.
Rebecca: I felt really happy that I’ve done something for myself and the community.
Andrew: I would like to raise public awareness as to what people with an intellectual disability
can do and not what they can’t.
Tanya: The class of 2010’s now graduated and they’re out there promoting the Special
Olympics message.
Dan: They’ve got a busy year coming up with the games in Athens.