Athletes
Athletes are the heart of Special Olympics. Our athletes are children and adults with intellectual disabilities from all around the world—5.6 million and counting! They are finding success, joy and friendship as part of our global community. They're also having lots of fun!
Shirnel Swarts Is ‘Living Limitless’
Special Olympics South Africa athlete leader Shirnel Swarts has found success as a short track speed skater and ambassador for worthy causes.
1 Min Read
5 Healthy Recipes You’ll Want to Try Before the End of Summer
Learn how to make tasty snacks from Special Olympics Health Messengers and WWE Superstars.
1 Min Read
Special Olympics Ohio Athlete Beth Meyer Gets Surprise of a Lifetime
Little did Meyer know the whole day was planned with one big surprise in mind: she would represent Ohio in swimming at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
5 Min Read
Celebrating Family Health & Fitness Day with a Special Olympics Health Messenger and his Family
Eric Massey, a 17-year-old Special Olympics athlete and Health Messenger from Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated the past year to his health and fitness journey.
1 Min Read
Nicole Harris Keeps It Real
Special Olympics athlete and Paralympian Nicole Harris opens up about her career, her unique road to the big stage and the lessons she has learned along the way.
10 Min Read
PopSugar features Special Olympics Champion Ambassador, Lily D Moore, a Favorite on Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’
Lily D Moore Talks Season 2 of Netflix's Never Have I Ever
1 Min Read
5 Things You Should Know Before Serving on a Special Olympics Board
Ben Haack served for 9 years on the Board of his local Program, Special Olympics Australia. We asked him to share his advice for young Athlete Leaders in Africa Region wanting to do the same.
7 Min Read
Good Friends
Athlete Ben Collins interviews friend and Unified Youth Leadership pair for International Day of Friendship.
1 Min Read
Programs Start Announcing Delegations for 2022 Special Olympics USA Games
Programs across the Special Olympics North America Region have started to select and announce the athletes, Unified partners and coaches who will participate in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando June 5-12.
4 Min Read
Universities in Kansas Get Active and Show Off Creativity with SONA Move Challenge
Five universities across the state of Kansas participated in the SONA Move Challenge, an 8-week movement challenge to see how many minutes of exercise participants could complete each week, to compensate for the loss of in-person sporting events and social activities.
3 Min Read
Special Olympics Athlete Aims to Make History Crossing Ocean from the Bahamas to Florida
Under the blistering Florida summer sun, 16-year-old Layla Crehan has been paddling for many hours. But the Special Olympics Florida athlete is exactly where she wants to be: out on the water on her stand up paddleboard. Her stand up paddleboard journey started just a few years ago, without Crehan realizing how quickly she would take to it or just how far it would take her.
6 Min Read
Justin & Caraline’s Story
Justin and Caraline met through Special Olympics New York Coach Brian Tenety’s Unified basketball team in high school. Today, they carry on his legacy of inclusion as teammates and friends—on and off the court.
3 Min Read