Amway dedicated to the spirit and soul of the Special Olympics

Amway invited Special Olympics athletes from the United States to the Amway Experience Center in Shanghai to further improve communication between China and the US and to boost the development of Special Olympics in both countries.

The special meeting at the Amway Center on December 6 was joined by athletes from the US state of North Carolina, some of whom are intellectually disabled.

They were able to communicate easily with the help of Amway volunteers.

In 2014, the Special Olympics International Asia-Pacific proposed that the Chinese and US governments launch an exchange program for teenagers from integrated schools in the two countries, and 25 high school students in Shanghai were selected to take a trip to the US during the time of the Special Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2015. This program was sponsored by Amway.

The Special Olympics International Asia-Pacific then organized another program in 2016, inviting students from integrated schools in China to travel to the US to interact with the local student leaders and to experience the Special Olympics activities there.

The US Special Olympics athletes’ visit to China this time was not only a return visit out of courtesy, but also helped further improve the communication between China and US and to help the development of Special Olympics in both countries.

During this visit to China, the US athletes travelled to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, and the Amway Experience Centre in Shanghai is a special site in their journey.

Some intellectually disabled at the Sunshine Disabled Home, a government-run charity which serves disabled adults throughout Shanghai, were also invited to the experience center to welcome and have meet and get to know the athletes.

The relationship between the Special Olympics and Amway dates back to 2005. In that year, Amway joined to help make preparations for the 2007 Shanghai World Special Olympic Games, carrying out over 300 various Special Olympics integration programs with volunteers participating programs for over 1,200 hours.

During that period, they met Xu Chuang, who was a Global Special Olympics ambassador at that time and was just about to graduate and look for a job.

Amway offered him an internship, and the company’s president in the United States also issued an ‘Honorary Employee Certificate’ specially for him.

Later, Xu became a full time employee after the internship and has by now been working in Amway for 10 years. Amway also gave him a chance to take part in the exchange program to fulfill his dream of running along the path featured in the movie Forrest Gump.

“I tried my best to work, distributing letters and newspapers for my department, assisting in the public welfare activities, and being in charge of the library in the company,” Xu said.

“I’ve learned a lot and have also made lots of progress. The happiest thing is that I can earn my own living, not depending on my parents anymore.”

Amway has launched many volunteer programs covering various fields such as children’s nutrition, environmental protection, caring for the community and caring for disadvantaged groups.

The Integration Program of the Special Olympics is one of them and has been run for 12 years.

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt:” The motto of Special Olympics is about finding the courage to give it all you’ve got.

“The reason why Amway continues to carry out the Special Olympics programs is that the unique spirit of the Special Olympics athletes has been inspiring and encouraging us to constantly push on these programs,” said Coco, Manager of Public Affairs of Amway.

“I believe that the spirit can also bring valuable inspiration and spiritual fulfilment for the younger generation in both China and the United States, who are growing up to be pillars of society.”

This year happens to be the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai Special Olympics Games, and Amway volunteers are going to continue to devote themselves to the integration of Special Olympics.

“In the future, we also hope that people can go forward hand in hand to help more mentally retarded people to win social respect and regain dignity with our actual actions,” Coco said.