The volleyball division of the Special Olympics is set to receive a boost from the leadership of renowned Serbian player Vladimir Vanja Grbi. The 42-year-old, two-time Olympic medalist announced at a Special Olympics demonstration during the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Stare Jablonki, Poland, that he has joined the organization as a volleyball ambassador. Along with some well-known Polish volleyball players, Grbi played an exhibition match with Special Olympic athletes as part of the demonstration.
Grbi, a 2011 Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, already has a plethora of experience in volleyball administration, serving as the vice president of the Volleyball Federation of Serbia and as a member of the FIVB Committee for Development of Beach Volleyball. Grbi attended his first Special Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 2011. Of his experience Grbi said, I recognize in [the Special Olympics athletes] the same joy, passion, and drive to reach your personal best that I had when I started to play. In his new position with the organization, he will work to raise awareness and resources and make sure the Special Olympics sports, health, and education programs continue to grow and develop.
