Special Olympics basketball brings 150 athletes together to find their tribe
More than 150 athletes competed in round three of the Leon Burwell Shield, a Special Olympics basketball event that builds community.
Cooper Slavin-Gay, 27, joined more than 150 athletes from 13 clubs across NSW and the ACT for round three of the Leon Burwell Shield, a basketball competition named for Leon Burwell, who established the event in the Hunter and mentored many of its athletes.
The competition is run entirely by volunteers, parents and carers, all connected through the athletes. Cooper's mum, Natalie, coordinates the Hunter Valley region.
Natalie described sport as a level playing field where ability is never limited by disability. 'On the court, the game is the game,' she said.
Athletes compete across four rounds for a chance to win the shield at the end of the year. A parent attending her child's first round that weekend told Ms Slavin-Gay: 'They found their tribe.
They found their place where their child belongs.'
Why it mattersSpecial Olympics basketball offers inclusion, friendship and fair competition in a space built entirely by community volunteers who understand exactly why it matters.
AustraliaNSW families with children who have intellectual disabilities are finding community support and genuine belonging through the Leon Burwell Shield and NSW Special Olympics programs.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 11 d ago
