My Game, My Voice: Why I'm Here

I've spent the last few years learning what it means to help people find their voice: in humid pastures, quiet barns, classrooms, and on the rhythmic gymnastics floor. My name is Nikol Astakhova. I am a rhythmic gymnastics coach with Special Olympics Florida who believes real change always needs a voice.

I've been coaching rhythmic gymnastics since 2023, and officially joined Special Olympics Florida in 2024 to help foster training spaces for athletes with disabilities. Prior to that, I spent years with Equine Assisted Therapies of South Florida as a sidewalker & equitation runner, guiding riders through over 30 sessions.

I hold certifications from the USA Gymnastics University, as well as multiple NFHS Interscholastic Coaching Certifications. I'm trained through the Special Olympics Unified Sports model.

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Beyond the gym and outside of the classroom, I'm deeply committed to advocacy. I drafted youth justice policy at the Florida Senate Page Program. I am 1 of 25 students to serve on the Congressional Youth Cabinet. I mentor 5 Ukrainian youth through the ENGin Program, raising their grammar and communication by an avg. 3% despite the war. I led 100+hrs of legal workshops and drafted women's rights policy briefs for the Amazigh Suffrage Campaign in Morocco. I promoted conservation across Belize through SACD, and volunteered in Belizean elementary schools. I have directed 500+hrs of animal care, and aided in 50+ rescues. Through my advocacy work, I always circle back to the same question: How do we help others speak when the world goes quiet?

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My Game My Voice was born from a truth I learned through years of volunteer experience: people have stories the world needs to hear. As someone who participated in competitive gymnastics for 9 years, working with Special Olympics athletes showed me how crucial sport is in bridging barriers. Every practice, every medal, every routine, serves as a statement that every person belongs on the floor, not the sidelines. This project brings these moments together to create real change.

But what comes next?

Here you'll find spotlight stories of athletes and mentees. Resources, such as toolkits, for coaches and schools to build more inclusive spaces. Reflections of my personal notes on leadership. Policy briefs & mentored research that show how acts of advocacy can create change.

I don't believe one student can change anything, but we can translate small acts in our communities into collective impact.

This is my game. This is my voice.

And I hope it helps you find yours, too.

Nikol

✨ If you’d like to learn more, share your story, or get involved, follow along at mygamemyvoice.org or @mygamemyvoice.