Special Olympics Coach Empowers Youth with Special Needs in Saudi Arabia

As a teacher, coach and advocate, Mayan Omair leads with empathy as she carves a path toward equality in Saudi Arabia. While obtaining her Ph.D. in Sport Science for Special Needs from the University of Leeds, one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK, Mayan researched the impact of physical exercise in improving the physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Young people with special needs can experience limited motor coordination, muscle weakness, and at times feel insecure in new spaces, putting a strain on relationships with their peers. Through her research, Mayan found that sport not only strengthened their physicality but enhanced the psychological health of children with ASD while decreasing repetitive stereotypical behaviors.

Upon returning home to Saudi Arabia, Mayan worked as a teacher for youth with special needs for three years before becoming a lecturer at Jeddah’s Dar Al-Hekma University in the Special Education Department. Currently, she is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner at TEAM UP, an organization that helps corporations develop unique sport sponsorships and event management services and also works as a part-time supervisor and coach with Special Olympics Saudi Arabia. Through her GSMP experience, Mayan hopes to gain essential leadership skills to be able to successfully manage and expand all aspects of programming for TEAM UP, especially in the areas of mental health and well-being. For GSMP: Sport for Community 2022, Mayan will be mentored by Mary Patstone, Executive Director at Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers, and her team in Boston, MA.