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We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.
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Programs

Costa Rica

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Special Olympics is a global organization that serves athletes with intellectual disabilities working with hundreds of thousands of volunteers and coaches each year. Since the establishment of Special Olympics in 1968, the number of people with and without intellectual disabilities who are involved with the organization has been growing, but the unmet need to reach more people with intellectual disabilities is staggering.

It’s at the local level—right here—where interested volunteers meet the athletes. That’s where the perceptions start to change and where the miracle of transformation takes place.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Those activities give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship.

Download the Special Olympics Costa Rica FactSheet (PDF)
Inclusion Works

Health and Peace...Through Sports!

Health and Peace...Through Sports!
A coach in Iran says "if we embrace the qualities of our athletes into our daily lives, we can build a world of justice, equality, and happiness." Read more about what he's learned from SO athletes here.
About

Leadership Teams

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Special Olympics is led by a senior management team with broad corporate and nonprofit experience. Seven regional offices around the world are headed up by managing directors who support the ongoing growth and development of programs in their regions. In addition, Special Olympics has a Global Athlete Leadership Council which features an Athlete Leader from each of the seven regions and provides feedback, guidance, and ideas to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors and Leadership Team.
Stories

The journey of Sis-qo Cain: Through a father’s lens

Two men stood side by side facing
Bosco Cain, a volunteer coach with Special Olympics, is both a father and a coach to Sis-qo Cain, a non-verbal powerlifter. Sis-qo’s early life was imprinted by a critical health crisis that left an indelible mark on both father and son.
In the News

A Unified Presence at Super Bowl’s Radio Row

NFL legend and SiriusXM host Ed McCaffrey interviews athlete Antrone “Juice” Williams and NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Every year, the week before the Super Bowl features the one of the largest gatherings of media in the United States.
Inclusive Health

Rebecca Morley (Montana, USA)

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In her career at the Missoula City-County Health Department, Rebecca worked tirelessly to champion inclusive health for 15 years, to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities were included in mainstream public health programs. She has recruited and trained hundreds of healthcare professionals from colleges, hospitals and health NGOs to ensure the next generation of providers can deliver quality healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities. Rebecca ensured that individuals with intellectual disabilities were included in the annual BMI surveillance at local public schools for the first time. This data was then used to advocate for the elimination of using food such as sweet treats as a reward in all classrooms, which became policy for Missoula County Public Schools and remains in place today.
In the News

From Athlete to Coach—A Dream Chasing Story Spanning 40 Years

Young man and older man with awards around their necks.
This excerpt is from Human Race’s article, “From Athlete to Coach – A Dream Chasing Story Spanning 40 Years.”
Community Impact

Special Olympics Athletes Lead the Way Toward Inclusive Fitness

Eric Massey swimming
The following is an expert from the CDC’s website post titled CDC and Special Olympics: Inclusive Health. For more information or to read the entire post, please visit the page here.
Athletes

They’ve Been There. They Want to Change It.

Woman standing and speaking in a classroom setting, others are pay attention.
Eleven Projects that Could Change Special Olympics from the Ground Up
Community Impact

Special Olympics’ New Children’s Book Series Brings to Life Remarkable Athlete Journeys

Covers of four children books featuring Special Olympics athletes.
Illustrated stories invite young readers to the value of inclusion through sports by joining athletes Anca, Eros, Marcel and Stephanie on their journey to World Winter Games Turin 2025.
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