Herrmann: Event largest of its kind in Bavaria
With more than 120 members of the organizational team and more than 750 volunteers, the event was the largest of its kind in Bavaria to date. Herrmann: “We have fully achieved our goal of visibly integrating people with disabilities into society and enabling them to participate and be recognized.”
Impulse for equal and non-discriminatory coexistence
Herrmann emphasized that sport is much more than a hobby: “Sport promotes health, social integration and personal development. Sport connects people with and without disabilities, reduces fear of contact and strengthens mutual understanding.” The state games are an important impulse for equal, non-discriminatory coexistence and show that inclusion cannot be a wishful idea, but a lived reality.
State games a “celebration of community”
The Special Olympics State Games 2025 in Erlangen were not only a sporting competition, they also underlined the importance of sport as a bridge for social cohesion and as a motor for more respect and participation. “They were a celebration of community,” said Herrmann. He thanked Special Olympics Germany in Bavaria and the 16 sports clubs in Erlangen for their outstanding commitment.
