“Basketball has changed my life and I am proud to be a part of this family.”
The words of Greece’s Andreas Vassilopoulos about his 16 years as a Special Olympics athlete.
“My mother encouraged me to join Special Olympics when I was 15 – I went to a training session and I felt an immediate connection,” remembered Andreas, now aged 31.
“The coaches and the teammates were all very supportive and they made me feel that I belonged there.
“Basketball has made me more sociable, more confident and happier. I have met friends, learned to work together and gained more self-confidence.”
Panathinaikos AKTOR collaboration
Andreas’s basketball journey with Special Olympics Hellas has just become even more exciting.
He plays in a Unified team which has now linked up with one of Europe’s biggest and most successful teams, allowing him to experience basketball at the highest level.
Andreas and his teammates have weekly training sessions with professional coaches and players from Greece’s Panathinaikos AKTOR.
They work on basketball skills, teamwork and communication and create inclusive activities which emphasize inclusion, co-operation and mutual respect.
“It is a great experience and I have learned a lot,” said Andreas, who is from Athens.
“My highlight was when we trained together with Juancho Hernangómez and he congratulated me when I scored a very important point during the match.”
KAE Panathinaios AKTOR has worked with Special Olympics for 12 seasons.
This partnership with the Unified team, through the Euroleague’s One Team Corporate Social Responsibility programme, is new for the 2025/2026 season.
The Unified team’s coach, Konstantinos Makropoulos, said the collaboration brought ‘tremendous benefits’.
“Our athletes gain confidence, social skills, better teamwork, and improved basketball abilities. Most importantly, they feel recognised, included and valued.”
“Being part of such a high-level programme motivates them, strengthens their self-esteem, and helps them grow both as players and as individuals,” he said.
Pierce College – A Unified Champion School
The Unified team is made up of Special Olympics athletes alongside students from Pierce, the American College of Greece.
The college is one of more than 300 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools across Greece, which promote social inclusion through planned and implemented activities.
One of the students on the team is Giorgos Megalos, a 15-year-old from Marathon in Greece.
“It has been great,” he said.
“Through my participation in the programme, I understand that we all communicate differently and through training we find ways to collaborate perfectly with everyone.
“The most important thing is that we create a Unified team that consists of people with different backgrounds.”
The college has worked with Special Olympics Hellas since 2018.
Project co-ordinator Panagiotis Kechagias said the collaboration with Panathinaikos AKTOR was embraced with enthusiasm across the school.
“Working closely with professional coaches and being part of a respected basketball organisation is incredibly motivating and inspiring for students,” he said.
“Initiatives like this are essential in helping young people develop an inclusive mindset. “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to participate, and we hope programmes like ‘One Team’ continue to grow so that even more students and Special Olympics athletes can benefit from this valuable experience.”
The athletes of Special Olympics Hellas are among over 25,000 basketball enthusiasts from more than 35 countries enjoying the 22nd edition of Special Olympics European Basketball Week (EBW) from 25 November to 3 December. EBW 2025 activities are kindly supported by partners Toyota Motor Europe, UPS and ON, which focuses on Unified with Refugees events.
