Pastor Dorcas Gachagua promises cash awards to medallists in Special Olympics

In a remarkable display, Kenya’s Special Olympics team emerged triumphant on the fourth day of the global sporting event held in Berlin, Germany, bagging two gold medals and one silver, showcasing their exceptional talent and determination.

Leading the charge was David Ngugi, who pedalled his way to victory in the 15km cycling road race, securing a gold medal for Kenya. Daniel Mutiso sprinted his way to success in the highly competitive 800m men’s race, claiming another gold medal for the nation. Willis Otieno exhibited incredible skill and finesse in the standing long jump, earning a well-deserved silver medal.

Impressed by their stunning performance, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s wife, Pastor Dorcas Gachagua made a heartfelt promise to reward the athletes upon their return to the country.

“I will give Sh40,000 for gold medallists, Sh15,000 for silver and Sh10,000 for bronze. Additionally, every coach will get Sh20,000 and all who participated will also receive something,” she vowed.

Pastor Dorcas seized the opportunity to encourage parents of children with intellectual disabilities to allow them to participate in the Special Olympics. She emphasized the importance of discovering their skills, talents, and abilities, fostering inclusivity, and aiming for global success.

Looking to the future, Pastor Dorcas expressed her determination to build a larger and more formidable team for the next Special Olympics. She vowed to search across all 47 counties in Kenya to identify and empower individuals with intellectual disabilities, with the ultimate goal of winning numerous medals in the upcoming games.

Acknowledging the unity and strength forged among the players, Pastor Dorcas extended her gratitude to the coaches. She recognised their invaluable role in nurturing the athletes and keeping the team resilient in the highly competitive global arena.

Also present were the Chairman of the Special Olympics Kenya, Thuo Cege, and Head of Kenya Delegation James Okwiri, and coaches. The teams competing in the Special Olympics comprise unified teams of those with intellectual disabilities and others without encouraging the inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities.

Cege congratulated the different teams for their exemplary performance in the Division Round Games, and even winning medals despite the challenges they met in a foreign country.

“I know the diet here is different from the Kenyan meals, but you have braved on,” he said.

On the other hand, Okwiri said the team would come home with a bag of medals since they had shown exemplary discipline and tenacity during their training.

He also asked Kenyans to enrol more of their children in the Special Olympics to empower them despite their intellectual disability.

The Girls’ beach volleyball team beat Costa Rica, India and Saudi Arabia but lost to Italy  in the divisional round matches. While the men’s beach volleyball team beat the host country, Brazil. The Office of the Spouse of the Deputy President has four pillars: People living with disabilities (PWDs), boy child, widows and orphans, and chaplaincy and family values. The Special Olympics falls under the pillar of PWDs, and their empowerment.