Families—parents, caregivers, siblings, and other supporters—play a major role in the Special Olympics movement. They promote inclusivity and encourage athletes to grow and believe in themselves. Beyond support, families actively get involved with Special Olympics in many ways: volunteering at events, coaching, participating in local Special Olympics Programs, and by staying active in local and global programming, like the Special Olympics Global Family Leadership Council (GFLC). Meet Global Family Leadership Council member Gang Peng. Gang Peng is a proud father who became involved with Special Olympics China over ten years ago and joined the first GFLC class back in 2023.
The GFLC’s mission is to represent, support, and serve as the collective voice of families within the Special Olympics movement worldwide, helping to strengthen global family engagement. The GFLC is comprised of seven dedicated members, one from each Special Olympics region, with each member serving a three-year term. Since then, Gang Peng has become more dedicated to mobilizing and uniting families to become active participants in the Special Olympics movement.
This month, we’re sharing the final part of the global series highlighting the seven members from the 2023 – 2025 GFLC class and their connection to health. Below, Gang Peng shares his perspective on how his daughter’s growth within participating in Special Olympics encouraged him to help other families find the same opportunities for connection and involvement.
Gang Peng – Special Olympics China – Parent
I am Peng Gang and the father of a Special Olympics athlete from Special Olympics China.
In 2024, as my daughter Xinyue graduated from a special education school, my thoughts inevitably went back twelve years. At that time, she was preparing to enroll in elementary school and was diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). For a while, feelings of despair, helplessness, and frustration enveloped our family. I put all my energy into work, escaping the reality of my daughter’s disability, only wanting to earn enough money to support her for a lifetime. Because of this, I never set foot in her school.
In 2015, our daughter transferred to a special education school in Chengdu, Sichuan and began training for Special Olympics. Soon after, she won her first Special Olympics gold medal in track and field. It was at this moment that I truly understood the changes happening in my daughter’s life. She became more polite, her language improved, and she learned to follow instructions. Most surprisingly, she began to enjoy showcasing and expressing herself. Her transformation deeply moved me, and I stepped into her school for the first time, wanting to understand how these changes happened to my daughter.
My daughter’s changes sparked my initial interest in understanding how Special Olympics facilitated her growth. By chance, I learned from a coach at the school about the upcoming Special Olympics East Asia Family Leadership Forum. I asked the school to register for me, but the registration was already closed. I was told by the Regional office that I could wait for the next opportunity, but I couldn’t wait. I decided to attend at my own expense. Experiencing the Family Leadership Forum first-hand made me fall in love with Special Olympics, sparking my true commitment to the movement.
When I returned home, I was filled with enthusiasm. Along with several parents from my daughter’s school, we established a Special Olympics volunteer team. We organized Special Olympics sports activities, raised funds for sports equipment, and provided volunteer services for the local Special Olympics competitions. The following year, I encouraged our parent volunteer team to establish a social organization to help support Special Olympics parents.
I yearned for more parents to join Special Olympics so that their children could benefit from it like my daughter had. Gradually, I began to think more about the future and opportunities for all the children around me, and I naturally became the leader of families in my area. The recognition I received from Special Olympics allowed me to become a member of the Special Olympics Global Family Leadership Council since 2023. Over the past decade, my daughter and I have accompanied each other in mutual growth.
The beginning of my daughter’s transformation was also the beginning of my own change. Through my daughter’s participation in Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®, I came to understand her health condition and receive health advice. For instance, we discovered that her vision was declining, which prompted us to teach her to reduce her screen time and spend more time outdoors, along with timely hospital check-ups.
Special Olympics not only transformed my daughter but also changed our family and our lives. It has shifted our health perspective from ‘passive healthcare’ to “active health management.” Healthy Athletes has enabled my wife and me to learn how to proactively prevent health issues within our family.
As a whole, Healthy Athletes has ensured that we as parents no longer face health issues concerning our children and family alone; instead, it has gradually embedded a professional, warm, and empowering system into our lives, building a disability-friendly healthcare environment. It has lifted us from the anxiety and helplessness we once faced regarding health issues and medical difficulties, by empowering me and many other Special Olympics families that “we can do this.” Healthy Athletes addresses not only our children’s health issues but also the overall quality of life for our entire family, ensuring we live with dignity. This year at an annual meeting of a nation-wide parents’ organization for individuals with IDD in China, I said, “Parents are the key force in making health services a reality. When healthcare embraces inclusivity, every life can earn respect on its own track.”
The spirit of acceptance and inclusion within Special Olympics has created a true sense of belonging for families like mine. Through this movement, we have witnessed our children’s growth and experienced respect and equality. For me, Special Olympics stands for inclusiveness, courage, and hope.
If I could go back ten years, I would tell myself: Take that brave first step. Cherish every moment. Don’t let hesitation become regret. The journey may not always be easy, but if we keep going with love and faith, our deepest hopes will one day bloom into reality.
The journey with Special Olympics has no end—only new beginnings ahead. In the future, I hope more parents will step into the spotlight, letting our family stories lead a new era of inclusion. One day, through our shared persistence, “you” and “them” will become “us,” inspiring millions of families to build an inclusive tomorrow together.
Start your journey or deepen your impact today. Explore Special Olympics Family Engagement resources.
