“Mister Inclusion” has once again gilded his sports career
Louis Kleemeyer is a successful tennis player, sought-after coach, mentor, and reporter. At the Special Olympics National Games in Saarland, he won gold and bronze. Now he hopes to secure a spot at the Special Olympics World Games 2027 in Chile.
Louis Kleemeyer is hard to miss. On the one hand, because at 2.05 meters tall he towers over most other people. On the other hand, because he is often asked for a selfie and also likes to take selfies himself. He is also very present digitally: on the social networks Instagram and LinkedIn, he has thousands of followers.
“Mister Inclusion” is a title that the 25-year-old has earned in recent years in Germany through great dedication and public relations. He is a successful athlete with an intellectual disability and a respected entrepreneur. He has experienced what it is like to be bullied at school and knows the path to success. Companies, institutions, media, and parties book him for training sessions and events because he has become an expert in accessibility, inclusion, and social participation.
[advertisement placement="medium_rectangle" align="left"]From the desk to the tennis court At the FISU World University Games 2025 in North Rhine-Westphalia, he advised the organizers on the planning of the competitions. He reported as a reporter from the Special Olympics World Winter Games in the same year in Turin. In preparation for the Special Olympics National Games 2026 in Saarland, he trained employees of companies and raised awareness of the special needs of people with intellectual disabilities. He also worked for a long time for the organizers of the games before switching from his office in Saarbrücken to the tennis court in Merzig a few days ago.
Since the end of May, he has been preparing for the competitions in Merzig with "power training." "I played and played and played to get fit," says Louis Kleemeyer. This has now been rewarded. In the Unified doubles, he won gold with his brother Ben. Both play for NTC Stadtwald e.V. 1980 Neuss. In the singles competition, he achieved 3rd place.
At the National Games 2022 in Berlin, he won two gold medals: in the singles and in the doubles, also with his brother. After the very good performance in Saarland, he now hopes for a starting place at the Special Olympics World Games in October 2027 in Chile. But after the games, the working day awaits him first. “In Germany, around ten percent of people have a disability. Only three percent have a congenital disability. For the other seven percent, it is the result of accidents or illnesses. These numbers always trigger an aha moment among my listeners. They realize: Oh, it could happen to me too,” explains Louis Kleemeyer. He hopes to create greater understanding in his courses for the concerns of people with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities.
[advertisement placement="medium_rectangle" align="right"]The glass is half full He is often asked what the correct term is: people with disabilities or people with impairments or people with handicaps. Many of his conversation partners are uncertain about this. "For me, what matters is that no matter which term is used, the main thing is that it is meant positively towards the people," says Louis Kleemeyer.
Thinking positively and seeing the world in a positive light, that is his motto for life. When others see the glass as half empty, he sees it as half full. With his friendly demeanor, his broad smile, and his empathy towards others, he truly lives by this attitude.
From learning disability to entrepreneur and coach.
The 25-year-old from Neuss has a learning disability. Until the age of 10, he could hardly speak. His parents reacted by sending him to a boarding school. Later, he attended special schools and completed his secondary school diploma, he says. But what next?
Venturing into new things is part of the DNA of the Kleemeyer family. His parents, together with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and a company, tailored a training program for their son Louis: for three years he learned the profession of IT systems specialist and passed the exams with a grade of 1. "Even during my training, I founded my first company Unique United with my father," he proudly says. People with disabilities can get advice. But companies also receive information on the topic of inclusion.
[advertisement placement="medium_rectangle" align="left"]“We mainly do online coaching. For example, we advise companies on how to make websites accessible or what to consider when they want to hire people with disabilities. Sometimes I also speak at staff meetings and explain what inclusion means in everyday professional and private life,” reports Louis Kleemeyer. Recently, his family founded another company – the training company VIAPARI. The goal of the company is also to increase social participation for people with disabilities.
Now Louis Kleemeyer has another interesting task ahead of him that he is very much looking forward to. "I will be coaching at Adidas for six months. The goal is to employ two people with disabilities in a store in Herzogenaurach. I am familiar with the challenges and we are preparing this together," he explains. If the project is successful, it is planned to be rolled out nationwide.
