Shanaia Xuereb

Shanaia Xuereb is an athlete from Special Olympics Malta in the Europe Eurasia Region. Shanaia participates in bowling and swimming. She has been involved in Special Olympics since 2009.

Shanaia’s favorite part about Special Olympics is that it encourages athletes not only to be active in their sports discipline, but also involves them in other activities, giving them a voice. She appreciates the great opportunities Special Olympics Malta has given her especially helping young athletes during training sessions.

Shanaia is excited for the congress in Berlin. She is looking forward to representing her country as well as meeting other athletes from different countries. Shanaia says that the global athlete congress will be an exciting opportunity to share ideas, concerns, and visions.

Shanaia is employed full time as a Senior Clerk Officer. Her role involves checking registrations to see that that all information and requirements are filled correctly. When Shanaia isn’t working or competing, she enjoys listening to music, hanging out with family and friends, and going for walks. She also likes to model and says that modeling has helped boost her confidence, helped her stay positive and achieve more in life.

Shanaia says that being an athlete leader means a lot to her. It has helped Shanaia build leadership skills and become more responsible not only as an athlete but also in her everyday life. Shanaia appreciates the opportunities Special Olympics Malta has given her and she wants to give back. She says that as an athlete leader her role is to listen to all athletes and be able to pass on their message not only related to sports but also to other daily issues. Shanaia strongly believes that to achieve something you must believe in yourself to achieve it. “Dream it! Believe it! Achieve it!”

Shanaia’s grant plan is to increase awareness and encourage more athletes to apply and become athlete leaders. She plans to execute this by producing video clips which promote athlete leadership and participation. Shanaia also plans to discuss topics including employment, independent living, and financial management.