The New Zealand Special Olympics team of 39 athletes and 22 support people left on Wednesday for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Germany.

Among them are football players Finn McNally and Kyle Scandlyn of Hamilton, swimmer Matthew Smith of Te Awamutu and basketball coach Simone Kokaua of Hamilton.

In total, over 7000 athletes with an intellectual disability from 190 countries will compete in 26 sports from June 17 to 25 in Berlin.

While the Kiwi athletes are super excited, for some, the event is also one of the biggest challenges they have ever had to cope with, because it will be the first time they are travelling without their family and competing in totally unfamiliar settings.

All 39 athletes competed at the National Summer Games in Hamilton last December and have since been putting in additional training sessions with their local and national coaches.

Head of the New Zealand delegation Rowena Massey says: “You could just feel the excitement growing the last few weeks, especially when they all received their uniforms last week.”

At the Berlin games, the athletes will compete across nine sports: athletics, swimming, bocce, equestrian, football, basketball, golf, powerlifting and ten-pin bowling.

The New Zealand Special Olympics 3x3 basketball team, with head coach Simone Kokaua (front left), and from left Laura Montgomery (Hutt Valley), Nathan Winkelman (Canterbury), Hayden Wilson (Manawatu), Unified partner Reuben Tearle (Counties) and 3x3 coach Wi Te Pou (Counties). Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand

Massey says for many athletes, just getting to the games and competing overseas is a victory.

 “But don’t get me wrong, the games will be very competitive. Competition is in us all, and when you get to the big dance, the competitive streak in all of us comes out, and our athletes are no different.”

The New Zealand team, now on the way to Germany, is flying to Munich for a training camp first before competing in Berlin. The opening ceremony in the historic Olympiastadion is already sold out with nearly 80,000 fans set to be in attendance.

Massey, who also attended the last two World Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2015 and Abu Dhabi in 2019, says especially the opening ceremonies blow you away.

The New Zealand Special Olympics swim team, Jesse Williams (back) and Haven Drinnan (front), Bella Lammers and Matthew Smith. Photo / Supplied

“When you walk into a stadium with 7000 athletes in front of tens of thousands of people, you can just feel the joy around the event coming from all those athletes. It is truly life-changing for the athletes and the support staff,” Massey says.

Special Olympics New Zealand chairman Al Robson says being part of a World Summer Games team and having the opportunity to represent their country is “an incredible thrill” for the athletes.

“I have no doubt the next three weeks will provide many memories that will last a lifetime.”

Among the people wishing the New Zealand squad the best of luck were Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson and Disability Issues Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan.

The full New Zealand Special Olympics Summer Games football team. Hamilton local Finn is bottom row, second from the right, and Hamiltonian Kyle is third from the left at the top. Photo / Special Olympics NZ

“The athletes embody what inclusive sport is and [show] the importance of participation,” Robertson says.

Radhakrishnan says the New Zealand athletes competing in the Special Olympics 2023 will “inspire” a future generation of disabled athletes.

“Sport should be something everyone can participate in... Best of luck to all the athletes competing. We know you will do New Zealand proud.”

The total cost of sending the team to the games is $1.1 million. Most of this is coming from 48 local clubs and the families, as Special Olympics New Zealand receives no Government funding. Each athlete had to fundraise $18,000 to cover flights, accommodation, support staff and training camps.

The opening ceremony will be broadcast live across the world, including in New Zealand on ESPN from 7am on Sunday, June 18 (NZ time).