Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation Announce 2025 Global Golisano Health Leadership Award Honorees

Seven Global Leaders Recognized for Advancing Health Equity for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation proudly announced the seven recipients of the 2025 Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards, the highest honor given from Special Olympics Health. These awards recognize exceptional professionals and organizations from around the world who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to improving the health and well-being of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Established in 2017, the Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards celebrate the transformative impact of health partners who embody the values and mission of Special Olympics Health and champion health equity for one of the most marginalized populations – people with IDD. The awards are a testament to the enduring partnership between philanthropist Tom Golisano, the Golisano Foundation, and Special Olympics Health, who have collectively worked to advance inclusive health worldwide and push for more collaboration with public and private partners.

This year's ceremony, held during the Foundation's 40th anniversary celebration, honored the fifth cohort of global leaders.

This year's award recipients include:

• Dr. Kellye Knueppel (Wisconsin, USA)  – An optometrist who has been integral to the growth of the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® program for over 24 years, training hundreds of professionals and overseeing more than 6,500 vision screenings.
• Dr. Toh Teck Hock (Malaysia)  – A pediatrician and national advocate for inclusive health policy, who founded the Agape Center, a developmental clinic that has successfully integrated children with and without disabilities into mainstream education, while also shaping national policy through roles in Malaysia's Ministries of Health and Education.
• Dr. María Teresa Barán Wasilchuk (Paraguay)  – Paraguay's Minister of Health, who has made inclusive health a national priority, driving transformative progress in both policy and practice to better serve people with IDD.
• Dr. Simeon Afolabi (Nigeria)  – An audiologist and founder of BSA Speech and Language Centre, who has transformed inclusive hearing care in Nigeria by training over 1,700 healthcare professionals and students to better serve people with IDD.
• Dr. Yousef Alawadhi (Kuwait)  – A dentist who has led the establishment and expansion of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® screenings across Kuwait.
• Ulster University (Northern Ireland)  – A leading institution in inclusive health education and research, equipping future health professionals with IDD-focused training, advancing community-based health initiatives, and driving policy partnerships to improve healthcare access and outcomes.
• Dr. Shamsiya Murat (Mongolia)  – A pediatric ophthalmologist at Mongolia's only public children's hospital, who has expanded inclusive eye care by translating and promoting Special Olympics screening guidelines now widely used by medical professionals.

The award ceremony recognized each honoree through documentary-style videos showcasing their daily and enduring impact on their practices, patients, families, students, and communities. The event was moderated by Sargent Shriver Global Messengers Margaret Turley of Special Olympics Ireland and Yeruult Batbayar of Special Olympics Mongolia. Remarks were also shared by Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver; entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader, and founder of Paychex, Inc., Tom Golisano; Golisano Foundation Executive Director Erica Dayton; and former Executive Director Ann Costello.

As Tom Golisano shared in his remarks, "This anniversary is not just a celebration, it is a commitment to our future – the future of the Foundation, and its goals and objectives. We are going to continue to support individual programs, expand opportunities, and advocate for inclusion. Together we can continue building communities that are stronger, more compassionate, and more inclusive."

Reflecting on the impact of each honoree and the legacy of partnership between Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation, Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Dr. Dimitri Christakis shared, "These honorees represent the very best in global health leadership—driven by compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to inclusive health. Their stories, and the tangible impact they've made in communities around the world reflect the strength and reach of our partnership with the Golisano Foundation. Their accomplishments are powerful examples of what individuals can do to build a future in which people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have access to the quality healthcare they deserve."

For more information on the 2025 Global Golisano Health Leadership Award recipients, and to watch their videos, please visit the Special Olympics website. 

About Special Olympics
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global sports movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With more than 4.6 million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and over one million coaches and volunteers in more than 200 countries and territories, Special Olympics offers over 30 Olympic-type sports and delivers more than 60,000 events and competitions each year. Engage with us on: X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.

About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader—is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the United States' largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for more than 730,000 clients in the U.S. and Northern Europe. Mr. Golisano's vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues - in business, healthcare, education, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His continuing investments are helping drive the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals—including three children's hospitals that bear his name—and numerous educational institutions and other organizations exceed $330 million. He has dedicated more than $95 million to advancing inclusive health around the world, including $67 million to Special Olympics, helping to close the significant gap in access to care for people with intellectual disabilities.

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $60 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding about $3 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York & New York's Finger Lakes Region and Southwest Florida. 

Connect with us at Golisanofoundation.org @GolisanoFdn @ThomasGolisano 

SOURCE Special Olympics International