Loretta Claiborne

Loretta Claiborne is a globally recognized athlete and advocate for inclusion who has dedicated her life to advancing dignity, respect, and opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities. Born with an intellectual disability and partial blindness, she has built a remarkable career as an athlete, speaker, and leader within the Special Olympics movement.

Loretta currently serves as Chief Inspiration Officer and Senior Advisor, Athlete Experience for Special Olympics. In this role, she represents athletes worldwide and supports efforts to ensure athlete leadership, voice, and experience remain central to the organization’s mission.

Over more than five decades of participation in Special Olympics, Loretta has completed 30 marathons, including a personal best time of 3:03 at the Boston Marathon, and earned 15 medals at World Games. She is also a fourth‑degree black belt in karate. Her accomplishments have been recognized with honorary doctorate degrees from Quinnipiac University, Villanova University, and York College of Pennsylvania.

Loretta has appeared on national platforms throughout her career, including twice on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and introduced President Bill Clinton at the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games. In 1996, she received the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage and has since been inducted into the Women in Sports Hall of Fame and the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Her life and career were the inspiration for the Disney film The Loretta Claiborne Story. Her upcoming book, LORETTA: The Finish Line Is Only the Beginning, reflects on her experiences as an athlete and leader and highlights the importance of perseverance, leadership, and inclusion.