Ryan

In 1999, Ryan Atkinson was pretending to be sick to avoid the jokes and insults of cruel classmates. The, just four years later, he found himself in Dublin, Ireland, sitting in a room with Nelson Mandela and Quincy Jones, discussing how to make a better world.

Atkinson remembers Mandela's charge to the Special Olympics Global Youth Summit attendees that day. "He told us that we could change ourselves. And after I came back to Alaska, that's what I did. I made a way bigger change in my life."

For years, Ryan bore the brunt of negative stereotypes and harassment from unfeeling schoolmates. "I used to cry because I was so worried about what people would say to me," he remembers. But in 2000, Ryan decided to give Special Olympics a try. Winning his first gold medal — in his first bowling competition — gave Ryan a sense that he could achieve much more than what others believed. And as he became more involved, he began to believe his mission might be to motivate others to take part.

Ryan began giving speeches in his community, to schools and civic groups, promoting the benefits of Special Olympics. Now, he sees himself as an advocate for those with differences, and is proud of the recognition he receives for his efforts. "I've been blessed by Special Olympics, and it's helping me do things for other people, too."

His advocacy ultimately brought him to the Youth Summit in 2003, and Mandela's words resonate for him every day. "I hear people telling me, ‘you're changing attitudes,'" he says. "And that's better than anything I can imagine."