Passing on the Olympic baton to Brazil at Windhoek special needs school

I ended this week on a really high note at an event at Dagbreek School in Windhoek where I handed over an Olympic torch to the Brazilian Ambassador to mark the one year anniversary of the London 2012 Games.

It is incredible to think that what we proudly call last year’s ‘Greatest Sporting Show on Earth’ already took place 12 months ago. It was a fantastic time for my capital city, country and also for Namibia – which secured its first Olympic gold and another silver to add to Frankie Fredericks’ historic silver medal haul.

London 2012 gave millions of people, young and old, from Britain and across the world, the chance to see the best of what the UK has to offer by showcasing British Excellence in sports, engineering, design, environmental and sustainable planning to name but a few. It really set a new international standard for future global sporting events.

The Games saw record-breaking numbers of spectators with over 7.4 million people visiting the venues and some 2.7 million tickets sold for the Paralympic Games alone. Strong foundations were laid to ensure a lasting legacy across five core areas: sport, economic, community, east London and Paralympics.

It was in this last area – the Paralympics – that Namibia really excelled, bringing home the country’s first Olympic gold following the outstanding performance of paralympic sprinter Johanna Benson on 6 September in the women’s T37 200m. She has since become a sensation and inspiration for Namibians of all walks of life.

The actions of such outstanding young paralympians have helped change attitudes towards disabled people around the world – and highlight that success depends on effort  and ability – and that people should be judged not on what they can’t do but what they can.

As well as celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics every four years, the Olympic family also celebrates the Special Olympics – and this led to our choice of today’s school: Dagbreek School for special needs children in Windhoek.

The assembly hall was full to capacity as I handed over my special Olympic torch to Brazilian Ambassador Ana Maria Sampaio Fernandes and made a special donation of N$18,000 sporting equipment, including cricket gear, a trampoline, water bottles and sun cream for the children to take forward their own sporting dreams and build up their physical development.

Her Excellency Ms Sampaio Fernandes updated the children that the Games would now move on to the fabulous coastal city of Rio in Brazil in 2016 and nearly caused a stampede by offering a special Rio 2016 football to whoever could name a Brazilian footballer the fastest. Sadly my rather outdated cries of “Pele” didn’t score me a prize.

Both of us were then rather outclassed by local singing sensation, popular kwaito artist Sunny Boy, who pulled up a handful of children to sing his hit song Balance, which had the whole hall moving.

The children were fantastic, really engaging in the event and surprisingly knowledgeable about the Games and keen to get their hands on the new equipment, which also included a donation of cycling goods from the Brazilian Embassy. A special thanks must go to Dr Veii, Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, who gave another rousing speech praising London 2012, which he attended, and encouraging the learners to strive their hardest and never look at any disability as a hindrance.

But our real appreciation goes to Principal Paul de Plessis, who acted as Master of Ceremonies. All at the High Commission wish him and his teaching staff the very best as they continue to do such a great job with their bright and enthusiastic learners, who now number over 120.

It was sobering to learn that Dagbreek is only one of two schools in the whole of Namibia (both situated in the capital) providing support to special needs children and I commend anyone who is interested in supporting such vital services to pay it a visit. You will be impressed.