Special Olympics athletes are the heart of our movement. With over 30 Olympic-type sports, there is something for everyone. You can find a Special Olympics training or competition happening 365 days in more than 180 countries. Whatever your skill level and whatever your motivation for participating and competing, there is opportunity to excel and have fun.
Champions in the Making
Abdel-Rahman Hassan, age 10, is one example of a Special Olympics athlete who was transformed by his experience. A swimmer from Saudi Arabia, he is partially paralyzed – but at the 2007 Summer World Games in China, Abdel-Rahman won gold medals in 25- and 50-meter races. His talent did not come naturally or easily; his father says it took him a month to hold his breath underwater for three seconds, and a year to swim a distance of one meter. Today, he is a champion.
Different Lands, a Common Concern
Florence Nabayinda of Uganda, Ephraim Mohlokane of South Africa, and Rita Lawlor of Ireland are also Special Olympics athletes. They come from different countries and faced different challenges in life. The one thing they all had in common before Special Olympics was that they were underestimated in their communities.
Today, they run, play football, compete in gymnastics and coach other Special Olympics athletes. They work and play alongside people without intellectual disabilities. They speak out to journalists, schools and civic groups about the remarkable changes Special Olympics helped bring about in their lives. They are valued leaders within the Special Olympics movement and valued members of their own communities outside of it. Their lives are fuller and more enriched thanks to Special Olympics.
All Are Welcome, All Grow
Some Special Olympics athletes have physical challenges like Abdel-Rahman. Others, like Billy Quick from North Carolina, USA, compete alongside the world’s best athletes and run marathons. Though ability level varies, everyone is welcome, and all grow, building athletic skills and character traits that help both on and off the field of competition. Confidence, self-esteem, teamwork are just some of the benefits of involvement in sports. For many athletes, Special Olympics is a path to empowerment, competence, acceptance, joy and friendship.
How To Become an Athlete
Look for your home country or U.S. state in our Special Olympics Program Locator to find the office nearest you. Then call, email or drop by to see how to sign up.
What YOU Can Do
Whether you are an athlete looking to compete, a volunteer looking to make a difference, or you’re just looking to have fun and be a part of something — come be a part of Special Olympics, and experience your own story of transformation.
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| | Ways to Get Involved | |
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| | - Get in touch with Special Olympics near you to see what you can do to help.
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| | - Make a short video about the talents and skills of people with intellectual disabilites and share it in the Campaign For Disability Employment video contest.
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| | - Get in the game by joining Special Olympics Unified Sports®, where people with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together on the same team.
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