Special Olympics athlete from Slovakia, Lukáš Sloboda has to make life decisions like eveyone else.
19 year old Special Olympics footballer, Lukáš Sloboda lives in Ladce, a village in the north western part of the country.
He has always been a lover of sports and found participation in sports a great way to meet friends and build his confidence.
"I have played on a Unified football team for three years" says Lukáš. I like being part of the Unified team. We have good cooperation among us and play well as a team."
Special Olympics Unified Sports® enables people with intellectual disabilities ("athletes") and without intellectual disabilities ("partners") to play on integrated teams. This experience allows participants to develop sport skills, create long-lasting friendships and to engage with their community.
Special Olympics Football has proved to be an ideal sport to bring young people together. In a 2005/2006 impact study involving 700 players who trained and competed on 61 Special Olympics Unified teams in five countries, the results showed that Unified football was a satisfying experience for athletes and partners alike, and was effective in improving their understanding of each other.
Lukáš is facing a big decision in his life. "I am training to be a gardener but I am not sure what I will do in the future. I have two possibilities: I can go live with my brother in the Czech Republic or stay in Slovakia and work in a factory in Senica. Whichever path I choose I hope I can continue to participate in Special Olympics!"