Special Olympics 2007

“Let me win. But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Special Olympics Athlete Oath

For Xu Chuang, those words are more than an oath. They are a way of life. Since he first became involved with Special Olympics at age eight, Chuang has witnessed firsthand the positive impact the organization makes on the lives of its athletes.

“I was once very shy and not willing to talk with others,” Chuang said. “Special Olympics changed my life and helped me achieve all this unimaginable success.”

Chuang won a gold medal in table tennis at the Special Olympics Shanghai Games in 1999, but remembers a moment three years later as a turning point in his personal evolution. In September 2002, he attended the Special Olympics China National Games in Xi'an, participating as a reporter for the Global Youth Summit.

“At that time I was deeply touched by the spirit of all the people there,” he said. “From then on, I was determined to be a real athlete, to compete in the National Games and even in the World Games!” His dream came true when he won a silver medal as a member of the Special Olympics China football team at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland.

When he was selected to serve as a Special Olympics International Global Messenger at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai in October 2007, Chuang was able to share his love of Special Olympics with the world.

The event marked the first time the World Summer Games were held in Asia, and only the second time they have been held outside the United States. In addition to almost 7,500 athletes, the 2007 World Summer Games included 40,000 volunteers, 3,500 event officials and thousands of families, volunteers, spectators and journalists from every continent. Nearly 5,000 of those volunteers were Amway China employees or Sales Representatives, who participated in more than 80 activities, both big and small.

Over the three years leading up to the Games, Amway volunteers organized 42 Health Runs across China for 840,000 participants, with proceeds benefiting the Special Olympics. As athletes arrived from around the world for the Games, Amway volunteers hosted delegations from 10 countries, ensuring that the athletes were comfortable and ready to compete.

During the Games, one very lucky little girl saw her dream of running with the fastest man in the world come true when Amway spokesperson and world-record holder Asafa Powell showed up for her training session.

Throughout the festivities, Chuang's role as a Special Olympics Messenger had a unique meaning for his friends at Amway China. There Chuang is more than an Olympian, he's an employee, and solid proof that Special Olympics helps to train more than just athletes. Because as their oath implies, Special Olympics is about more than just winning. It's about trying.