- First award ceremony at the renowned "Athlete of the Year" event in December 2025
- Platform for greater visibility of Special Olympics Athletes
- Telekom emphasizes its social responsibility through active promotion
The "Athlete of the Year" election is one of the most prestigious awards for outstanding athletes who embody values such as commitment, discipline, fairness, and endurance. It takes place annually in December during a grand gala at the Kurhaus Baden-Baden. During the election in December 2025, the "Special Olympics Athlete of the Year" award will be presented for the first time at the initiative of Deutsche Telekom. This new category aims to honor exceptional athletes who are part of the Special Olympics movement - the world's largest for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities.
As a partner of Special Olympics Germany, Deutsche Telekom wants to provide the athletes with the "Special Olympics Athlete of the Year" award, a significant platform for greater participation, appreciation, and visibility.
Inclusion requires active promotion
Michael Hagspihl, Head of Strategic Marketing Partnerships and Sustainability at Deutsche Telekom, emphasizes: "With the new award, we are making a clear statement about our commitment and our initiative to make inclusion an integral part of the Telekom brand. At the same time, we are providing athletes with a suitable platform to showcase their impressive achievements. Therefore, I am very pleased that next year, for the first time, Special Olympics athletes will be honored within the framework of the 'Athletes of the Year' award. Today, we are already building a bridge to the World Winter Games in Turin in March 2025, where more than 54 athletes - Team SOD - will compete."
Deutsche Telekom has been committed to the Special Olympics since the World Games 2023 in Berlin. The event in the capital was supported with infrastructure services, numerous volunteers, and also through TV coverage on MagentaTV. At the beginning of the year, Telekom was a sponsor at the national Winter Games in Thuringia and had employees on-site as volunteer helpers.
"It is a particular concern for us to recognize the impressive achievements of the athletes," says Michael Hagspihl. "That's why we closely integrate them into our communication activities, whether through social media posts on our own high-reach channels, as well as through film documentaries or athlete portraits shown on MagentaTV and YouTube."
Telekom manager Hagspihl extends special thanks to Klaus Dobbratz and his team as the organizers of the 'Athletes of the Year' award. "With their support and openness, they contribute to giving inclusive sports more attention and recognition."
The most prestigious athlete election in Germany
Klaus Dobbratz is the son of the "inventor" Kurt Dobbratz, who first launched this prestigious athlete election in 1947. As a journalist, he took over the International Sports Correspondence Agency (ISK) from his father and continues to run it to this day. Over 3000 sports journalists vote for the candidates on the suggestion list.
A special platform for special athletes
Sven Albrecht, CEO of Special Olympics Germany, highlights: "I am extraordinarily pleased that our athletes have the chance to stand equally in the spotlight with other athletes for the first time at such a prestigious election. This is a milestone in the history of Special Olympics and underscores that our movement is increasingly accepted in society. A big thank you goes to Deutsche Telekom, which, as a committed and reliable partner of our association, has made this possible."
Winter Games Turin 2025
On the way to the "Special Olympics Athlete of the Year" election on December 21, 2025, the Winter World Games in Turin will take place from March 8 to 16, 2025, with more than 1,500 athletes from 102 countries participating. Germany will be represented by 54 athletes. The Special Olympics Germany team consists of active participants from nine state associations and will compete in all eight sports. These include classic winter sports disciplines such as figure skating, alpine skiing, and snowboarding with slalom, giant slalom, and super-G, cross-country skiing, and speed skating in the new "short track" variant over 111 meters. Additionally, snowshoeing for athletes with limited coordination abilities, floorball like ice hockey on a regular gym floor, and the discipline of dancing with styles like street dance and performing arts are included.
Milestone for the movement: The Special Olympics World Games 2023 in Berlin
The Special Olympics were founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Her son, Timothy Shriver, continues her legacy as Chairman. Today, Special Olympics athletes come from over 190 countries, including Germany, where more than 40,000 people regularly participate in competitions. A significant milestone was the Special Olympics World Games 2023 in Berlin, with over 7,000 athletes. In 26 sports, top performances were achieved, and medals were awarded - the German team celebrated over 150 medals. This event gave the movement a significant boost in public awareness and impressively underscored the importance of inclusion and participation.
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