MANILA, Philippines - The first Filipina to represent the Asia Pacific region in the Special Olympics Global Youth Activation Summit was invited to have dinner with US President Barack Obama on Thursday night in Washington.
In his remarks for the night, Obama lauded Brina Kei Maxino for her accomplishments despite her young age and disability.
“Today, in more than 170 countries, Special Olympians are athletes of all kinds – skiers and speed skaters, sailors, cyclists, equestrians and judo masters. They make extraordinary contributions to their communities. And I’m proud to highlight a few of them here tonight,” Obama said.
“Brina Kei Maxino represented the Asia-Pacific region at the Special Olympics Global Youth Activation Summit when she was 16 years old. She was the first Filipina and the first teenager with Down syndrome to do that, so let’s give Brina a big round of applause. Yay, Brina,” the president said.
Maxino wore a red terno for the Special Olympics dinner, also attended by first lady Michelle Obama.
Speaking alongside other accomplished individuals with disabilities on stage shortly after dinner, Maxino expressed her hopes for the country to become more understanding and inclusive.
“People in the Philippines do not know special kids like me,” Maxino said.
“They are scared of us, they ridicule us and they bully us. I do our campaign and organize Unified Generation activities for people to respect us and to accept us and to love us,” Maxino added, referring to the Special Olympics campaign against inactivity, intolerance and injustice toward young people.
“I am changing [my country] and we are creating the language of a unified generation,” she said. – Camille Diola (philstar.com)