
Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, television and motion pictures. She has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and she has achieved critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television. Her albums have earned multiple Grammy nominations and have yielded such classic hits as “the Academy Award-winning single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s “Pocahontas.” On Broadway, Vanessa was nominated for a Tony Award for the 2002 revival of “Into the Woods.” Most recently, Vanessa has achieved remarkable success on television with her work on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty,” where she earned three Emmy nominations. In December 2010, the International Press Academy honored Vanessa with their prestigious Mary Pickford Award for her career achievements over the past 27 years. In 2007, Vanessa achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer. Her charitable endeavors are many and varied, embracing and supporting such organizations as Special Olympics and many others.
Engagement: Vanessa became involved with the Special Olympics in 1992 after singing on the "A Very Special Christmas 2" album, and currently serves on the board of directors, which she uses her platform to advocate for people with intellectual disabilities for the past 2.5 decades. Vanessa has attended many Special Olympics events including performing at several Special Olympics World Games. Vanessa has participated in Unified Sports including Tennis, Bocce, and Equestrian to name a few. She believes "The idea of incorporating sports and people with intellectual disabilities allows each athlete to have a sense of inclusion, to be encouraged and have success in a community where achievement is available and consistent."
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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) -
Yuna Kim
Olympic Champion, Figure Skating -
Zhou Xun
Actress, Singer & Philanthropic Environmentalist -
Zou Shiming
Olympic Champion, Boxing -
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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.