THE DOVER CHRONICLE VOL 2

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Ines Lui Siciliani de Oliveira THE DOVER CHRONICLE - OCTOBER 2023 VOL. 2 AN INTERVIEW WITH HANAKO SAWAYAMA (SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE) On Wednesday, 20th September, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hanako, who visited the school in order to talk to the students about Special Olympics Singapore (SOS) during the Drop-Down Day. She had previously attended Dover Court in the 1990’s, and went on to join SOS as a swimmer, and is still part of the team today. I asked her a few questions about her experience and Dover Court and SOS. So, what is Special Olympics? It is a global organisation that works with athletes with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, the organisation has been growing ever since. At the local level, athletes get to meet the many volunteers at the organisation, helping to increase community involvement and integration, and even changing preconceived perceptions. Special Olympics provides sports training year-round, as well as competitions in a range of Olympic-type sports for both children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Not only do these activities help to develop physical fitness, but athletes can also grow as people through new experiences, joy, and the development of new friendships. Could you describe your experience when you were a student at Dover Court? Hanako first joined Dover Court in 1991, when she was 14 years old. The school was very different then: there were less buildings, the community was a lot smaller, and they still wore the old hand-made striped, green-and-white uniforms with the old shield logo. Visiting the school in the present day, what would you say has changed about the school? Hanako noted that the school has had an extremely big change for the better. Two students gave her a school tour during her recent visit, and she pointed out the development of many new buildings that have sprouted up around campus since her time here. There were many smaller changes that she noticed as well, such as the new location of the reception, the new chairs and interior design within the reception, and the new playgrounds that the school did not have when she was a student. Up next - the interview with Hanako:
Ines Lui Siciliani de Oliveira THE DOVER CHRONICLE - OCTOBER 2023 VOL. 2 Could you describe what it was like being an athlete with Special Olympics Singapore when you first started out? Hanako joined Special Olympics Singapore while she attended Dover Court. The mother of another student asked her to join the SOS swimming programme, and through this programme she saw many other people with intellectual disabilities swimming. Although she was initially slightly surprised upon joining, she eventually got used to it. What kind of work do you do with Special Olympics Singapore nowadays? Today, Hanako is an administrative coordinator and part of the initiative team. She works with youth leaders, athlete leaders, and is also a Global Messenger for Special Olympics. What do you feel is the most rewarding or impactful part of your role? Hanako feels that the most rewarding part of her role at Special Olympics Singapore is being able to support council members. She has also been an inspirational example of how people with intellectual disabilities can integrate when given equal opportunities – such as when Hanako represented Singapore in Bowling during the Summer Games. Is there anything you would like to tell Dover Court Students about yourself or Special Olympics Singapore? To close out the interview, Hanako told me about her message for the students at Dover Court. She implores students to take action. It is now our turn. She also gave some suggestions for ways that the student body could integrate this within the school, emphasising the importance of holding events with people with intellectual disabilities. It is imperative that the community bands together and includes everyone. A few of Hanako’s suggestions for ways that we could implement this are: -A fun fare -Baking/other group activities -Playing sports together (unified sports) If there is a key message to take away from both Hanako’s experiences and message, as well as our own school values, it is to take action. Dover Court is an inclusive community – this is at the heart of the school, and it is our job to embody that in our own actions. Get involved with students from all three pathways, form friendships or even just say ‘hi’ to someone you might not know around the campus. Think of ways to spur inclusion and integration in our community. How can we involve everyone? Because, as made evident by the work done by Special Olympics, if given equal opportunities, anyone and everyone can achieve great things.
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THE DOVER CHRONICLE VOL 2

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