Stories

Jack Healey, a 20-year-old from Berkshire in England, always nurtured a deep love for football. Watching football matches on TV and playing FIFA helped him develop a true passion for the beautiful game from a young age. Even though he determinedly practised skills at home , he was unfortunately never able to access a mainstream football club as a junior due to his learning difficulties. However, a turning point came shortly after his 18th birthday.

The five-a-side football team of the Zucchero Filato Association in Viterbo, Italy, is showing how sport can be a powerful tool for social inclusion.

The following is an excerpt from AIPS’ article, “Special Olympics set to score more crucial goals for inclusion through its global football development strategy” which highlights Special Olympics’ global football strategy and the impact football has on people with and without intellectual disabilities around the world.

This International Day of Families, Special Olympics is celebrating the parents, siblings, and caregivers who are the heartbeat of the Special Olympics movement. Families shape every athlete’s journey by offering a unique type of love and support that fuels confidence and makes impactful changes to athletes' lives.

For Mari Holt, competing at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games is a long-awaited dream come true. And she’s not alone—nearly 20 family members traveled from Norway to Turin to support her. Her parents, sister, uncles, aunts—everyone was there, waving custom made “Team Mari” flags and cheering her on!

Throughout Special Olympics North America, more than 116,000 dedicated individuals donate their time and expertise as Special Olympics coaches. In 2024, six of these incredible coaches rose to the top and were recognized as Special Olympics North America Outstanding Coach award winners.

This Mother’s Day we celebrate the love and unwavering support of one mother of a Special Olympics athlete and athlete leader.

FIFA and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup teamed up with Special Olympics and the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote inclusion through the power of sport along with how to live an active and healthy lifestyle.

The Michael Phelps Foundation (MPF) and Special Olympics are proud to announce a major leap in the ongoing partnership—the launch of the MPF IM Coach Level 1 Course, now available to all Special Olympics coaches globally via the Special Olympics Learning Portal.

It’s year two of the University of Wisconsin-Madison hosting the NIRSA National Basketball Championships.

An excerpt from the NBC News article detailing a recent return of the R-word in the language lexicon.

Special Olympics was in the spotlight at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) as Special Olympics Ireland badminton athlete Jonathan Deering delivered a keynote address focused on the power of the sport at the BWF Members’ Forum held in Xiamen, China at the end of April.