With 7,500 athletes participating, the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games which took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world.
This year’s competition, the 50th in its series, played host to the best talents across the world with 60 Nigerian athletes living with intellectual disabilities competing for medals in different sports categories from swimming to football.
Committed to spotlighting the oft-overlooked significance the competition represents, and buoyed by the grace, tenacity, and determination of its participants, documentary photographer, Adedotun Soyebi captures the amazing feat of athletes at the 2019 Special Olympics and behind-the-scenes moments that define the competition founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a pioneer in the global struggle for the rights and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.
Team Nigeria had an impressive run at the Games carting home 9 Gold, 10 Silver, and 7 Bronze.
Attached are exclusive photos from the competition. Please follow @itspuffy on Instagram and Twitter, and visit www.adedotunsoyebi.com to see more photos.
Editor’s note: This documentary photography project is to spotlight the issue of intellectual disability, therefore publishing same on your platform draws much-needed attention to the strength and ability of people living with the condition daily.
