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The spirit of Special Olympics was first given life on 20 July 1968, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois (USA). One thousand athletes with intellectual disabilities lit a Special Olympics cauldron to proclaim their vision of sport - a vision marked by skill, courage, sharing and joy. It is a vision that has swept the world.
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From 1968 . . . |
Today the spirit of Special Olympics is alive in more than 2.5 million athletes, almost 200,000 coaches, and millions of families and volunteers in 165 countries. It is foremost a spirit of joy, but also one of courage, integrity, pride and respect. It is a spirit of acceptance that transcends geographic, social and political boundaries. It is a spirit that inspires us all.
In neighborhoods and communities around the world, Special Olympics athletes come together to experience the simple gifts of teamwork, competition, triumph and perseverance. In 21,000 competitions each year, Special Olympics provides the rarest gift of all: a chance.
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. . . to 2007, the spirit of Special Olympics - a spirit of joy, courage, integrity, pride and respect - lives in its athletes. |
For so many more people with intellectual disabilities, the spirit of Special Olympics has yet to touch their lives. More than 190 million people with intellectual disabilities live without being given a chance to enjoy even the most basic freedoms - the chance to be part of a family, the chance to go to school, the chance to have a job, the chance to make a friend.
Today, we celebrate the future of Special Olympics when every person with an intellectual disability will have a chance, when every athlete will cross the finish line with the words, “I am a winner.”
Be a Special Olympics supporter and help us reach potential Special Olympics athletes!
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