Athlete Leaders

Take a look into the Special Olympics Movement anywhere around the world, and you will find athletes in leadership roles at every level throughout the entire movement. Assistant Coaches, Global Messengers, Program Ambassadors, Committee Chairpersons and Program Board Members are just some of the leadership roles held by athletes…athletes with Intellectual Disabilities.

Special Olympics Bahamas recently held its first Board of Directors meeting for 2021 (Jan/25), and welcomed two such athlete leaders of their own.

Danier Rolle (aka Gentle Giant), has been a member of the Special Olympics Bahamas Board of Directors for the past two years as the lone athlete representative. Joining Danier as a second athlete representative is Stephen Russell (aka Goliath), who resides on the island of Grand Bahama, and is a final year student at The Beacon School. Stephen’s appointment to the board marks the first time in its 43-year history, that two athletes have served on the board of directors of Special Olympics Bahamas at the same time.

Both Danier and Stephen have represented The Bahamas at previous Special Olympics World Summer Games (Danier at the 2015 Games held in Los Angeles, and Stephen in 2019 at the Games in Abu Dhabi), and both of them know what it feels like to “bring back the gold”.

This double appointment can certainly be considered as a “GIANT” step in the right direction, when it comes to athlete leadership.

Congratulations Gentle Giant and Congratulations Goliath and continue to demonstrate your awesome A-bilities to the world.