
An inspiration to all, Lauren Potter has proven herself to be a young woman of strength and character. When professionals told her she “couldn’t” or “wouldn’t,” she worked harder—sometimes to the point of exhaustion. Barriers and limitations put before her became a personal challenge to let people know she is worthy of high ideals and capable of great expectations.
Lauren danced before she could walk. She began classes at the age of three and has been doing ballet, tap, jazz and even hip-hop ever since.
She made her acting debut in the movie “Mr. Blue Sky,” where her impressive performance caught the attention of the producers of the hit FOX television series, “Glee,” on which she played the spunky character ‘Becky Jackson’ for six seasons. She was nominated for a SAG Award in the category of “Ensemble in a Comedy Series” for her work on “Glee.” Lauren was also honored with the SAG/AFTRA Harold Russell Award at the Media Access Awards for this series.
Lauren is thrilled to be using her public “voice” that “Glee” has given her to speak out for other people with disabilities who may not have the same opportunities.
She was an Ambassador for Special Olympics World Games and was also appointed to President Obama's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Lauren served for three years on the International Board of Best Buddies and has worked with the non-profit in conjunction with Special Olympics’ “R Word: Spread the Word to End the Word” anti-bullying campaign.
Lauren has since starred in and executive produced the indie drama “Guest Room,” which made its debut at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival. Most recently Lauren guest-starred on HBO’s “Veep,” Freeform’s “Switched at Birth” and Comedy Central’s “Drunk History.” She also starred in a PSA for World Down Syndrome Day humorously redefining what ‘special needs’ are.
-
Andre Drummond
NBA All-Star & Rebound Champion, Chicago Bulls -
Apolo Anton Ohno
Olympic Champion, Short Track Speedskating -
Avril Lavigne
Musician & Philanthropist -
Robert "Bob" Beamon
Olympic Champion, Long Jump -
Brooklyn Decker Roddick
Actress & Model -
Charles Melton
Actor -
Dale Moss
Former NFL Player, Model, Actor & Media Personality -
Damian Lillard
NBA All Star, Portland Trailblazers -
Devin Booker
NBA All-Star, Phoenix Suns -
Didier Drogba
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Eddie Barbanell
Actor & Comedian -
Elena Delle Donne
WNBA Player, Washington Mystics -
Erika Ender
Singer / Songwriter, TV Celebrity, Producer & Actress -
Gleyber Torres
2x MLB All-Star, New York Yankees Shortstop -
Hannah Teter
Olympic Champion, Snow Boarding -
Hidetoshi Nakata
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Hussein Fahmy
Egyptian Actor -
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Olympic Champion, Fencing -
In-Kyung Kim
Professional Golfer -
Jamaal Charles
Former NFL Player & All Pro Runningback -
Joe Haden
Former NFL Player & All Pro Defensive Back -
John C. McGinley
Actor & Advocate -
Julen Lopetegui
Legendary Soccer Goaltender & current Manager of FC Sevilla -
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
New York Times Bestselling Author | Actor, Producer -
Lauren Potter
Actor & Advocate -
Li Na
Former Professional Tennis Player, WTA -
Maureen McCormick
Actor, Singer, New York Times Best-Selling Author -
Michael Phelps
Olympic Champion, Swimming -
Michelle Kwan
Olympic Figure Skater -
Nadia Comaneci
Olympic Champion, Gymnastics -
Nicole Scherzinger
International Recording Artist & Television Personality -
Padraig Harrington
Professional Golfer -
Paul Wight
Six-Time WWE World Champion -
Ricky Rubio
NBA Player, Cleveland Cavaliers -
Sam Perkins
Olympic Champion, Basketball & NBA Legend -
Seun Adigun
Summer & Winter Olympian, Hurdles & Bobsledding -
Vanessa Williams
Singer & Broadway Performer -
Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic
Olympic Champion, Volleyball -
Willson Contreras
2x MLB All-Star, St. Louis Cardinals Catcher -
Yang Lan
Founding Chairperson, Sun Culture Media Group and Sun Culture Foundation; Journalist; Philanthropist -
Yang Yang
Olympic Champion, Speed Skating -
Yao Ming
NBA All Star & Chairman of the International Basketball Federation Asia (FIBA) -
Zhou Xun
Actress, Singer & Philanthropic Environmentalist -
Zou Shiming
Olympic Champion, Boxing -
View All
As icons of success from diverse industries such as sports, music, entertainment, media, and beyond, Special Olympics Global and Champion Ambassadors generously lend their time, talent, and resources to support the Special Olympics mission. They are inspirational role models who share a belief in the power to come together, break down barriers, and foster a world of inclusion while supporting Special Olympics’ expansion of sports, health, youth, and education programs.