Watch: Maltese Special Olympics Athlete Opens Up On Bullying In Powerful New York City Speech
21-year-old Maltese athlete Gilmour Borg opened up about how he was bullied in a speech at a global Special Olympics summit in New York City.
“Before joining Special Olympics Malta, my life was difficult,” Gilmour said.
“I had very dark moments and I passed through dark stages in my life, I was refused, left, neglected by friends and bullied since my earlier years. I was a victim of people who wanted to destroy me.
“Bullying is no joke, it happened every day and because of this, I had bad thoughts going through my mind and often asked myself if I should end all of this.”
Gilmour, who has dyslexia and ADHD, said his life turned around when he joined Special Olympics Malta.
View this post on Instagram
“Sports gave me new hope and I let out all my frustrations. The difference was that I was listened to, respected, understood, encouraged, supported and loved by Special Olympics Malta. When I joined them, I found true friends and most importantly, I found a family.”
“They gave me confidence, motivation, power, self-esteem and a will to fight and become better. It gave me a better understanding of myself and of life itself.”
“As a young boy I was lost and I had nothing to look ahead to, but after joining Special Olympics Malta I learned to accept myself. I started to understand that not everything is dark and that there is a brighter side too.”
“I started believing in myself, I started achieving more and look at me now. I’m confident and can speak about my past with pride and dignity.’
The New York City summit was held to mark the 2022 Golisano Health Leadership Awards, an event that honours health leaders around the world who work to secure equal access to health, fitness and wellness for people with intellectual disabilities.
The awards are organised by the Golisano Foundation, whose founder Tom Golisano personally invited Gilmour to the event after hearing him speak at an online event he addressed in his capacity as chairperson of the Special Olympics Malta Athlete Leadership Committee.
Gilmour’s speech received a standing ovation from the New York City crowd.
Tag someone who needs to watch this speech
READ NEXT: Becoming Eileen Montesin: How A Maltese Entertainment Chameleon Spent Over 40 Years Evolving Into A Timeless Icon
