Chapter: Silent Sacrifices

Chapter: Silent Sacrifices

By 2015 or 2016, subtle but concerning changes began to show in Josephine. She appeared thinner, more withdrawn, and there was a tiredness in her that hadn’t been there before. It was during this time that she quietly shared something troubling—she had stopped getting her periods. Her doctor, alarmed by her appearance and symptoms, ordered blood tests.

The results weren’t shared with me directly, but the implications were clear: Josephine’s body was under stress. Not from illness, but from deprivation. What she hadn’t said out loud, but what became painfully clear later, was that she had been skipping meals. Not out of forgetfulness or lack of appetite, but out of necessity.

The Special Olympics club—the very group that had once brought her joy and purpose—had become a financial burden. The fees had crept up, and the cost of participation began to clash with the basics of living. Josephine made her choice quietly and without complaint: she would go without food so she could keep attending.

This was a heartbreaking revelation. The club that had promised inclusion and empowerment was now demanding silent sacrifices. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Sport was meant to nourish the spirit, not deplete the body.

In those moments, I couldn’t help but question the system. How could any organisation committed to supporting people with intellectual disabilities allow costs to climb unchecked? Why wasn’t someone noticing the signs of hardship among


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