Our #MCM is Nyasha Derere, Hailing from Zimbabwe, Nyasha holds several leadership roles within Special Olympics. At the 2018 Global Athlete Congress in the Dominican Republic, his fellow athletes elected him Chairperson of the Congress. As Chair of the Global Athlete Congress, he serves on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. He is also a Global Health Messenger, advocating for health by teaching healthy habits and everyday fitness.
At an early age, Nyasha was labeled “crazy” and placed in special classes where he was isolated without friends. He was self-motivated to train in athletics and decided to join his school’s team. He did not perform well the first time he competed and was called “useless” by the other students. This made him train even harder leading him to win his next race.
In 2012, Nyasha joined Special Olympics when it was introduced at his school. Joining Special Olympics gave him the confidence to become a school leader. He began his leadership role by sharing his inspirational story with younger students. As a result, he has become a motivational speaker spreading messages of hope, inclusion, and goal setting.
As a Special Olympics Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger (SSIGM), Nyasha Derera hopes to become a voice for the voiceless. He believes that because he faced many challenges in life and went on to achieve many successes, he can use this opportunity to inspire others. His dream is to attend a university where he can obtain a degree that will allow him to make a difference in people’s lives.
In these recent years, Nyasha has emerged as a sought-after speaker, sharing inspirational messages around the world. In his first year as a SSIGM, he delivered speeches and presentations on four continents. His speaking engagements include:
• Special Olympics Headquarters – Washington, DC, USA, January 2019
• Special Olympics World Games – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 2019
• United Nations: 12th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – New York, NY, USA, June 2019
• Special Olympics Africa Regional Marketing and Communications Conference – Johannesburg, South Africa, June 2019
• Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration – Hyannis Port, MA, USA, July 2019
• Special Olympics Africa Youth Summit – Nairobi, Kenya,
• Special Olympics Unified Leadership Conference – Dublin, Ireland, October 2019
• Special Olympics Board Meeting – Washington, DC, USA, November 2019
• 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games Signing – Berlin, Germany in 2020
• USA Games in Orlando Florida, June 2022
• Berlin Germany National Games, JUNE 2022
• He Holds ESPN Executive Unified Cup Challenge Trophy 2022 Challenge Trophy USA (Special Olympic Games Orlando Florida USA)
In addition to being a leader within Special Olympics, Nyasha is an accomplished short and long-distance runner. In Zimbabwe, he holds an impressive record of 17 gold medals, 6 silver medals, 1 bronze medal and numerous certificates.
He volunteers at schools in his community providing competitive readiness training on how to become an effective athlete and student. His other volunteer activities include officiating at soccer and athletic competitions. He is also a member of the Lions Club and volunteers with an organization called Restless Development that empowers youth to solve the world’s challenges.
He is currently studying for an Executive Diploma in Sports Management with the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. He is a Transformational Public Speaker, Team building and Fitness Coach
