Steps Unified Challenge, launched by Special Olympics on 19th August to achieve the goal of 52 million steps in 10 days, completed 60 million steps in support of People of Determination.

The ten-day sports event aimed to support the International Special Olympics movement and its humanitarian role in serving people with intellectual disabilities and to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of this International event. International Special Olympics has contributed since 1968 to changing the lives of millions of People of Determination with intellectual disabilities and their families around the world and has helped different societies to accept and integrate them, the Special Olympics includes so far 6 million athletes and players from 192 countries.

The initiative aimed to complete 52 million steps over ten days, while Special Olympics athletes and players from 192 countries eagerly monitored the completion of the steps.

Step Unified’s 2,410 participants expressed their happiness at achieving their goal one day before the deadline, by completing 52,957,999 steps.

Talal Al Hashemi, National and Executive Director of the Special Olympics UAE, stated that the initiative is a new achievement for the UAE, to be added to many noble initiatives, including “Walk United”, which coincided with the Regional Special Olympics Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

“We felt very proud, while closely watching the step counter, and at the completion of the goal before the official challenge deadline. Exceeding the goal by 8 million steps is an indicator of the significant interactions of the Emirati community with the Special Olympics and people of determination,” Al Hashemi said.