From Tennis Mishaps to Million-View Milestones

This episode features Alex Padalino, producer of Inclusion Revolution Radio and Special Olympics Senior Manager of Communications, alongside Chris Bence, Special Olympics Senior Director of Global Strategic Partnerships. Together, they reflect on the podcast’s beginnings, which have grown into a global platform with more than 50 episodes, 6.3 million views, and an ever-expanding community of 1.7 million YouTube subscribers.

Host Novie Craven welcomes listeners back from the studios of Podville Media, the D.C.-based production company behind some of ESPN’s most recognizable podcasts, including The Dominique Foxworth Show and SVPod. Podville Media has partnered with Special Olympics to produce the seventh season of Inclusion Revolution Radio. This partnership is a testament to the show’s growth and its ability to reach wider audiences while elevating the voices of Special Olympics athletes.

At its heart, Inclusion Revolution Radio is an athlete-led podcast amplifying the voices of people with and without intellectual disabilities. Each episode sparks critical conversations about access, belonging and what it means to live in an inclusive world.

For Novie, this episode is particularly special. She sits down with Chris Bence, her Unified partner of 10 years, to share memories of their friendship and time competing together in Special Olympics Unified Sports®. Unified Sports, a program of Special Olympics, brings people with and without intellectual disabilities onto the same team. Inspired by a simple principle, that training and playing together leads quickly to friendship and understanding, Unified Sports continues to break down barriers and foster inclusion worldwide.