An experience that touches the heart Saarbrücken, June 17, 2026 – As volunteers at the Special Olympics National Games in Saarland: Swati Tikku and Robin Wurdinger are among more than 3,100 volunteer helpers at Germany’s largest multi-sport event for people with intellectual disabilities in 2026. "Barbell loaded... Bend... Set down..." The commands of the referee during the power triathlon are clearly audible in the Congress Hall Saarbrücken. The audience watches intently as one athlete after another lifts the barbell weighing 60, 90, or more than 100 kilograms onto their shoulder, squats down, stands up again, and then places the weight on a rack. Sometimes it doesn’t go so well, and an athlete loses balance. That’s why Swati Tikku and Robin Wurdinger stand beside the athletes, ready to catch the barbell in case of emergency so the athlete won’t get injured. When an athlete finishes, they applaud. And the whole hall applauds too. Once again, the atmosphere at the power triathlon is fantastic. After an athlete completes their attempt, Swati and Robin then change the weights. “They are pretty heavy. Robin takes the large metal plates, and I take the lighter ones,” says Swati. Their conclusion after the first competition round: “Phew, this is quite exhausting.” Swati and Robin are so-called corporate volunteers. Their companies support the Special Olympics National Games in Saarland. A total of 20 companies take advantage of this opportunity. Swati works at Adidas and Robin at s.Oliver. Both companies enable them to gain new experiences in Saarland over several days. They then return to their companies with these impressions, share their experiences, and thus carry forward the idea of inclusion. The concept works. Both are experiencing Special Olympics competitions for the first time and are enthusiastic about the games and their role. “It is overwhelming. For me, it’s a great inspiration. Diversity is part of Adidas as a company. I can now contribute my experiences with inclusion in sports,” explains 35-year-old Swati. “It’s wonderful to see how motivated the athletes are and how much fun they have. There’s real passion. This experience touches the heart. I will report on it in my company,” says 29-year-old Robin. Both also speak excitedly about the opening ceremony of the National Games at the Ludwigspark Stadium in Saarbrücken: “It was very emotional.” Feeling the energy and seeing the joy of the athletes are important experiences for Swati and Robin that they will not forget. Overall, more than 3,100 volunteers are involved in the National Games. They come from all over Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland. Most are from Saarland. They help in every area of the games, such as at food distribution, info points, transportation and logistics, at sports venues, and caring for the mascot Unity. The oldest volunteer is 82 years old and the youngest helpers are 15 and still in school. There are 25 so-called tandems in which people with and without disabilities work together. The largest “tandem” is provided by Reha GmbH from Neunkirchen, where 19 volunteers with disabilities and six without disabilities assist at the games. Because the swimming competitions take place this time in the French town of Forbach, there are for the first time German-French volunteer teams supported by the Franco-German Citizen Fund. “The volunteers spread a very good mood everywhere and do a great job. Alongside the athletes, they are the faces of the games and show how important it is for society to support inclusion,” says Felix Velten, Volunteer Management Coordinator. He is especially pleased that the volunteers are proactive and always look for where help is needed. More than 5,000 applications were received, which unfortunately could not all be accommodated, says Felix Velten. The volunteers experience how inclusion works in practice and have a completely normal interaction with people with intellectual disabilities. They see that help is sometimes necessary to participate in social life. “After the games, they will report on the pure joy of sport in the community. They have experienced how spaces are created where disabilities are completely normal. They will become ambassadors of inclusion,” Felix Velten is convinced. Swati and Robin definitely belong to this group. Text: Hartmut Augustin The attached photo is available for free use with credit. Credit: SOD/ Sascha Klahn Social media channels: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube #Saarland2026 #SpecialOlympicsGermany #NationalGames #StrongerTogether #Inclusion #Volunteering #PowerTriathlon
Volunteer helpers at the Special Olympics National Games Saarland 2026
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