Picture by claire Behan
March 8th is Worldwide Girls’s Day (IWD), a world celebration of the social, financial, cultural and political achievements of girls. IWD’s 2022 marketing campaign theme is #BreakTheBias, selling a gender-equal world freed from stereotypes and discrimination and stuffed with fairness and inclusion.
Emanuelle Dutra Fernandes de Souza, higher generally known as “Manu,” is a 24-year-old Particular Olympics Brazil athlete who embodies the spirit of inclusion. She grew to become concerned in sports activities at a really younger age and found her love for soccer and seaside volleyball. Manu was led to Particular Olympics in 2013 through the improvement of soccer applications throughout Brazil and competed for the primary time for her house nation on the 2015 World Video games in Los Angeles.
Brazil received the bronze medal that 12 months, after which three years later, Manu and her teammates took house the silver medal on the inaugural Unified Cup in Chicago.
Although her coaching certified her to signify Brazil within the seaside volleyball competitions on the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Video games, she made the selection to just accept Particular Olympics’ supply to signify the voices of her fellow athletes from internationally as a Sargent Shriver Worldwide World Messenger (SSIGM).
As one of the prestigious positions inside Particular Olympics, SSIGMs are spokespeople tasked with main the marketing campaign for a extra inclusive world for folks with mental disabilities.
Her attain as a SSIGM has already prolonged a lot additional than the sphere of play. Later in 2019, Manu represented Particular Olympics Latin America on the United Nations in New York Metropolis the place she spoke to worldwide leaders in regards to the significance of inclusion and the unifying position sports activities can play in bringing folks collectively.
Whereas Manu’s time period as a SSIGM will formally conclude in 2023, her involvement inside Particular Olympics will final a lifetime. Her love for soccer led her to take a seat on the committee to design the Unified Cup 2022 trophy that shall be awarded for the primary time this August in Detroit.
Manu will even function a key member on the committee for the 2024 Unified Cup, which can embrace evaluating bids of hopeful host cities and the following website visits. Her first-hand information of necessities for the optimum athlete expertise will play a pivotal position within the decision-making technique of the 2024 Unified Cup website.
Manu’s mantra is “inclusion in motion,” and thru her work, she has empowered folks around the globe to create environments respectful of all folks, particularly these with mental disabilities. She’s a number one voice for ladies’s rights and the Particular Olympics motion, and on Worldwide Girls’s Day, Manu is widely known for the excellent feats she’s completed for the better good of the worldwide group.
“In a world stuffed with prejudices and something however love, Particular Olympics is a spot the place yow will discover love and happiness. And that is why persons are all the time coming and extra athletes wish to be a part of, compete, and be themselves. This can be a place the place they’ll expertise an inclusive household.”
Emanuelle Dutra Fernandes de Souza, Sargent Shriver Worldwide World Messenger
