Online April 23, 2025 – United Through Sports proudly launched the Play It Forward: Choose to Include global webinar series, kicking off with its first session: “Working with Adaptive Athletes: Insights & Realities.”
Designed in collaboration with universities across the globe, the first Play It Forward series of webinars aims to provide the next generation of sports students and professionals with real-world insights, bridging theory and practice for a more inclusive future in sport.
The inaugural webinar gathered a motivated audience of over a hundred students from Europe. We also welcomed sport officials from various federations, including The International Sambo Federation (FIAS), The International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA),as well as international guests committed to advancing inclusion within their sports communities.
International Experts Leading the Conversation
The webinar featured an outstanding panel of international experts, each bringing their own unique perspective to the table, giving the attendees with great insights on how to bring inclusion to sport:
Ben Haack, an athlete, coach, and Board Member of Special Olympics International from Australia, has spent over a decade advocating for inclusion, through the unique power of sport. Addressing the students, Ben challenged them to rethink language and daily practices around inclusion. Rather than labeling athletes by their disabilities, he shifted their perspective and advised on the creation of environments that are flexible, supportive, and individually responsive. His guidance encouraged the adoption of a different perspective and approach to persons with different abilities. Sports professionals working with athletes of different abilities should be prepared to adapt continuously, observe carefully, and respond to each athlete’s evolving needs. Building a truly inclusive setting means practicing patience, avoiding assumptions, communication as much as possible and fostering a space where athletes can regulate themselves with dignity and support.
“There’s a lot of nuance in this space,” Ben Haack said. “Yes, there are frameworks, like understanding the condition, say autism. There are tools, like an iPad, a fidget spinner, or adaptive equipment. But the key is nuance: how you apply those to the individual, understanding their unique picture, their day, their situation. It’s a lifelong pursuit, but recognizing those three layers: framework, tools, and nuance, is critical to doing inclusion well.”
Janice Lyn, a former Muaythai World Champion from Canada who now serves as Sports Director at IFMA and Education Ambassador for the ITA, has championed inclusion throughout her transition from athlete to coach and international sport leader in Muaythai. She highlighted that fostering inclusion starts with inner motivation and teamwork and advised that meaningful support for adaptive athletes requires collaboration with experienced advisors and personal caregivers, mindful planning, and resilience in the face of challenges. Janice reminded participants that progress takes time, and that empathy, persistence, and intuitive flexibility are crucial for building athletes’ confidence and providing platforms for them to be able to express themselves truly and show what they are capable of.
has championed inclusion throughout her transition from athlete to coach and international sport leader in Muaythai. She highlighted that fostering inclusion starts with inner motivation and teamwork and advised that meaningful support for adaptive athletes requires collaboration with experienced advisors and personal caregivers, mindful planning, and resilience in the face of challenges. Janice reminded participants that progress takes time, and that empathy, persistence, and intuitive flexibility are crucial for building athletes’ confidence and providing platforms for them to be able to express themselves truly and show what they are capable of.
Janice Lyn said: “The “Play it Forward: Choose to Include” webinar was an excellent platform that demonstrated the value of engaging university students, fresh, open-minded, and planning for their futures, as a way to introduce, educate, and advocate for adaptive sports and inclusion. I was truly honored to share my personal experiences in training students and athletes with different abilities, as well as the work IFMA has been doing to make Muaythai more adaptive and inclusive for Every Body.”
Our third expert was Emanuel Scheiber, a Sport Consultant, Event Organizer, and Advisor on Adaptive Sports from Austria, who brought valuable insights from his extensive experience. As the former General Manager of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), one of the most inclusive IF, Emanuel played a key role in making IPF events fully inclusive, working closely with Special Olympics and Paralympic athletes for many years. Drawing on this background, he outlined a clear roadmap for inclusive event management. He emphasized the need to place adaptive athletes at the center of events, rather than at the margins, and to actively engage all stakeholders, from international organizations like Special Olympics and IPC to national federations and grassroots clubs. Emanuel stressed the importance of seeking and integrating feedback without ego, reminding organizers that true inclusion is not just about event structure, but about collective responsibility and a shared commitment across the entire sports community.
Emanuel Scheiber said: “Working with inclusive sport is something everybody should experience. In my opinion, working with people of different abilities is the best investment someone can do and is paying out something back to you, you can not buy or hire – it gives you joy and happiness. On the other hand, our worldwide leaders in sport should give more attention to this topic, as inclusive sport is the glue of our sport society.”
Building Bridges Across Borders
UTS will provide all students with a Certificate of Participation, acknowledging their attendance and learnings from the series. Additionally, leaning on its role as a bridge across the international sports community, UTS has shared the session on YouTube, making it accessible to a wider global audience.
Janice Lyn noted: “This collaboration underscored the importance of synergy, diverse approaches, and collective efforts in building a more inclusive world for the next generation. Many thanks to the partnering universities and the students for their motivation and thoughtful questions and to United Through Sports for organizing such an inspiring event!”
Moving Forward
UTS CEO Julia Govinden, who also moderated the session, said:
“This session proved just how necessary and relevant the topic of inclusion is. It was inspiring to see the students’ motivation and genuine interest in learning more. We know there is still a lot of work ahead, but their commitment to educating themselves is encouraging. I’m very much looking forward to hearing the students’ insights at the end of the series and exploring how we can continue to support them, both in their sporting environments and nationally, in creating more inclusive events. This is a first step forward and we already see the positive impact.”
The Play It Forward: Choose to Include series has made a strong and inspiring start. As we continue this journey, United Through Sports warmly invites students, sport officials, educators, and all passionate individuals to collaborate with us. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the speakers, the universities, and everyone who made this first session a success.
Building on the insights from our first webinar, the next session in the Play It Forward series will focus on developing inclusive sports events that accommodate athletes of all abilities and backgrounds, turning vision into reality across the sports world.
Together, we’re playing it forward!
