Special Olympics

“Many are afraid of misrepresenting themselves”

All for one, one for all: you can tell who is part of the golf team by their outfit. Cohesion and togetherness, that's what it's all about here.

(Bild: Schittl/mathis.studio)

Author Robert Schneider dedicates his new series to the diverse club life in Vorarlberg - this time he talks to Edwine Schittl about the Special Olympics and golf. 

Golf is still associated with the leisure activities of wealthy people who can afford to hit a small ball from the tee into the hole with as few strokes as possible. However, the fact that this sport has opened up to people with disabilities in this country is largely thanks to Edwine Schittl and the Bludenz-Braz Golf Club.

Ms. Schittl has been a volunteer at the "Special Olympics Vorarlberg" for many years (since last year she has been responsible for the golf section). Not to be confused with the "Paralympics", the competitions for athletes with physical disabilities inspired by the idea of the Olympic Games.

"We have a dress code"
I meet the very agile-looking lady in a café in Dornbirn on this sunny but chilly fall morning. She is wearing the fleece jacket with the Special Olympics logo with no small amount of pride. Just as etiquette and a certain amount of decency are very important to her in life. "We have a dress code in this sport, and I also demand it when we play unified." By unified, she means playing together with people with disabilities.

I immediately ask about Mrs. Schittl's roots, as her name does not suggest that she comes from the Ländle region. "My husband and I are both from Styria. We've been at home in Vorarlberg for almost 35 years now. I mean really at home, i.e. arrived here. It actually started with a vacation. That was in 1989, when we took our young son, who wasn't yet at school, on a camping vacation at Lake Constance. My husband, who wanted a career change anyway, ran to the job center while we were still on vacation, got a few addresses and three months later we were finally in Vorarlberg."

Integrated into the soccer club
I want to know what it was like arriving and being accepted in Vorarlberg. "My husband played soccer and was immediately in a club. So of course we quickly made contacts. We never found it difficult to make friends. I always said to my boys: 'Even if they don't say hello back, it just means that they don't know us yet'."

"Your family seems to be very sporty," I continue. "You've also been playing golf for many years. Was there an initial spark, an experience that made you want to play golf with people with disabilities?" - "That's quite simply explained. You naturally get to know people at the golf club," replies Edwine Schittl. "That's where we met a man whose daughter has Down's syndrome. He asked us if we would like to be unified partners in golf. My husband and I said: 'Why not? What's more, we were never afraid of contact. I think a lot of people would like to do something like that, working with disabled people, but they're afraid they'll do it wrong. Basically, you don't actually have to do anything, just be yourself. These people want to be seen as fully-fledged. They need rules, just like we do. You have to have a line, then it's not difficult at all. Well, and in 2010 we took part in the national games in St. Pölten for the first time as unified partners. A year later, I went to the Olympic Games in Athens. To the Special Olympics, mind you."

Edwine Schittl.

(Bild: mathis.studio)

"Now please explain the difference between Special and Paralympics to a layperson like me?" - "That's quickly explained. Paralympics are athletes who are impaired by an accident, for example, whereas Special Olympics athletes are usually cared for, live at home and are therefore unable to cope with life without help.

The longer I talk to Ms. Schittl, the more warmly she talks about her voluntary work at the golf club. You can literally see her joy when she talks about the sport and the disabled people she accompanies. I probe a little and want to find out why she takes it all on. "My husband and I were once asked this question independently of each other. We both answered exactly the same: God has given us healthy children and healthy grandchildren. We want to give back in this special way what we have been given, or perhaps spared." 

"The Special Olympics have a very broad base in Vorarlberg. It's not just golf." - "No, we have a wide range of sports. From soccer to tennis, from inclusive children's training to dancing or archery, from boccia to Nordic walking, and so on. So there really is a lot on offer." - "How is the club structured?" - "Special Olympics Austria unites all the federal states. That's the umbrella organization. Each province has its own coordinator."

"Wonderful moments"
At the end of our conversation, I ask Ms. Schittl whether it is really possible to be on an equal footing with people with disabilities in sport. She gives me a clear and seemingly natural answer: "When I play unified, i.e. with my partner, we always take turns. We are a team. I realize that I'm only a small part of it, because all the focus is on the athlete. Of course we really want to win together. For example, if I mess up a ball, I sometimes get to hear: 'You, I'm going to make up for that now. Those are wonderful moments. There's no turning a blind eye or cheating. These people simply want what everyone deserves: to be taken seriously. The greatest thing is when we supervisors manage to teach them to play independently over the years. That really is the greatest gift."