The Special Olympics World Games award ceremonies are among the most emotional moments of the Games. They are the moments that many of our athletes have dreamed of for a long time and there are cheers, cries of joy and tears of happiness.
The chairs and benches for the audience in the Sommergarten are completely occupied when the award ceremonies begin on stage.
The Games song "Are You Ready" by Madcon is played and the athletes from all over the world are greeted with big cheers by the teams, families and spectators when they come on stage.
The Sommergarten of Messe Berlin is one of several locations where the athletes are awarded for their great performances.
Gold, silver and bronze medals as well as ribbons for the other participants are presented. After the ceremony, the joy on and in front of the stage knows no bounds.
Arms are raised in the air, people cheer, hug each other and stamp their feet.
Sometimes tears run down the faces. They are mainly tears of joy – for the athletes and also for the audience.
Annabelle Tschech-Löffler is experiencing these special moments for the first time. At 13 years old, she is the youngest athlete in the German team.
In gymnastics-artistic, Annabelle has won a bronze medal and several placings. "This is so nice," she says immediately after the award ceremony and is quite touched.
Her two sisters, her brother and her parents, who accompanied her to Berlin, are delighted with her.
"She has been training for four years and we are very proud of her," say her parents Mary and Markus Tschech-Löffler.
Because of an illness, she had to take a little break in between and has only been able to train properly again since February of this year, says Markus. "That's why it's so great that it worked out with a medal."
Congratulations to Annabelle and to all the other participants of the Special Olympics World Games, who are definitely all winners.
