Message from Tim Shriver

An Everlasting Legacy. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a leader in the worldwide struggle to improve and enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Learn more about her story.

Dear Colleagues,

Today, July 20, 2010 marks 42 years of sports, joy, and human transformation around the globe.  As I spend today at the USA National Games, I’ve gone from venue to venue meeting athletes like Kolan McConiughey from Michigan who bowled seven 300 games, like Nicholas Vandenburgh from Minnesota who ran the 100 meter under 11 seconds, like Kaitlin Slough from Indiana who ran a personal best of 6:59 in the mile run.  These men and women, and all our athletes around the world, are the fruits of 42 years together.  Their excellence is a reflection of your perseverance, their achievements the outcome of your determination, their happiness the product of your relentless passion for the human spirit.  No matter how long you’ve been with Special Olympics, today is your celebration too.  From all of us, I send you my thanks.

I also had a moment today at the track & field venue when I closed my eyes and imagined Chicago 1968.  I imaged all the people who didn’t’ come, who didn’t’ believe, who didn’t understand.  I imaged all the struggle for those who did show up, to those who did took a chance on a vision. They had precious little in the way of support, but they had gained riches in the way of the spirit.  We stand on the shoulders of those giants of 1968 and of all those who followed them from village to village, country to country, fueled by the spirit of never accepting anyone’s limitations. 

Finally, it is that spirit that makes me so confident about our future.  Our young leaders – both those with and without different abilities – our coaches, our volunteers, our athletes, all are ready for the challenge of the next decade.  The obstacles remain of course.  But the world is hungry for a movement of health, of acceptance, of joy.  We’ll meet the challenge by focusing on sports excellence, by having the highest expectations imaginable of our athletes and of our communities by working even harder than we have worked already.  But the real secret to our future success is that same spirit of 1968, that same restless and rebellious dissatisfaction with the status quo, and that same joyful energy to change it.  I thank each of you for being such wonderful representatives of our great movement every day. 

Happy Birthday Special Olympics!

Timothy P. Shriver
Chairman & CEO
Special Olympics International