Teletón and Special Olympics Chile have signed a collaboration agreement that seeks to mark a milestone for the development of inclusive sport in the country and prepares for the Special Olympics World Games, which our country will host in two years.
The symbolic signing of this important alliance took place at the Teletón Institute in Santiago and was attended by prominent national sports authorities, including the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro, and the director of the National Sports Institute (IND), Israel Castro.
This agreement is part of the preparation for the Special Olympics World Games which will take place in Santiago from 12 to 24 October 2027. This will be the first time this global sporting event will be held in the Southern Hemisphere and Latin America. More than 6,000 athletes from 170 countries are expected to participate, competing in 23 sports, including athletics, swimming, football, gymnastics, and basketball, among others.
Sports Minister Jaime Pizarro said this agreement reaffirms the commitment to adaptive sports in our country. “We have the 2027 Special Olympics World Games on our horizon, so we must continue working together in a collaborative, integrated, and participatory manner. In this regard, the experiences we have been able to carry out with Teletón have been extremely virtuous allowing us to support many athletes,” he emphasized.
“We believe this alliance will strengthen the collaborative work being done by all. We would like to thank everyone involved for allowing this collaboration as it will directly benefit the inclusion, participation, and development of a major event for our country,” Pizarro added.
For her part, Carolina Picasso, President of Special Olympics Chile, noted that the real commitment now lies in taking action. “This alliance represents a concrete opportunity to advance toward real inclusion because we are a platform that convenes, articulates, and opens doors. Our purpose is clear: to build a space where all organizations that share this mission can collaborate, join forces, and amplify their impact,” she added.
Likewise, Teletón’s national medical director, Dr. Bruno Camaggi, emphasized that the agreement with the Special Olympics Chile Foundation represents a strategic alliance to strengthen the role of sport as a key tool in comprehensive rehabilitation processes. “At Teletón, we believe that physical activity not only contributes to the functional development of our children and young people, but also transforms their environments, positively impacting their families and communities. This alliance enhances that impact, and with the World Games on the horizon, we will have athletes who will be much more than athletes: they will be ambassadors of inclusion. Through them, we break down physical, social, and attitudinal barriers and advance toward a more participatory society that respects diversity,” he emphasized.
Also among those attending was the General Director of the Teletón Foundation, María José Zaldívar, and the Director of the National Sports Institute (IND), Israel Castro.
The Sports on Teletón
The agreement with Special Olympics Chile seeks to promote a vision of a more inclusive country with equal opportunities for all. To this end, it establishes joint actions in areas such as sports planning, professional training, academic and scientific outreach, and dissemination, with the goal of strengthening social inclusion through sports and breaking down stigmas surrounding people with intellectual disabilities.
Teletón, through its Adapted Exercise and Sports Unit, present in all 14 institutes, has been a key player—with the support of other institutions—in promoting adapted sports in Chile. This therapeutic unit has an interdisciplinary team that promotes disciplines such as wheelchair basketball, bocce, surfing, swimming, taekwondo, and more. Since 1993, the institution has used sports as a rehabilitation tool, promoting functional independence and social participation among its patients.
The impact of this work has been significant. At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, 85% of the athletes with physical disabilities who represented Chile were or are Teletón patients. Notable names include Alberto Abarza, Macarena Cabrillana, Amanda Cerna, and Alexander Cataldo, all of whom began their athletic careers at the institution.
The signing of this agreement not only strengthens inter-institutional cooperation but also lays the foundation for a transformative social and cultural legacy in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
What are Unified Sports?
Unified Sports are unique Special Olympics sports that bring together people with and without intellectual disabilities on a single team, with the goal of promoting physical activity and social inclusion.
They share a common goal and work together to achieve it, both on and off the field.
