In the News

Special Olympics Board Chair Timothy Shriver, Ph.D. discusses the important role education plays in addressing society’s dire need for social inclusion.

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and New York Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres express their excitement about being named Global Ambassadors with Special Olympics athletes during Zoom call.

To address the high rates of mental distress among adults with disabilities, the CDC posted helpful resources, including recommendations for people with intellectual disabilities from Special Olympics.

Rafer Johnson was among the earliest and most dedicated supporters of Special Olympics, ever.

Special Olympics Europe Eurasia has today—on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities—announced that the first ever European Unified Youth Basketball Tournament will take place in Sansepolcro, Italy in October 2021.

It is during these times of the unknown that the need for innovation and creativity emerges. In the following videos, Special Olympics Youth Leaders share how they took on the challenge of a new, virtual normal, and committed to creating innovative projects portraying an uncertain time.

Special Olympics Chief Health Officer, Dr. Alicia Bazzano, MD, PhD, MPH, explains why people with intellectual disabilities have a higher risk of diabetes than the general population and how Special Olympics is addressing that gap.

As part of an effort to amplify the voice of Special Olympics across the world of sport and fashion, Special Olympics teamed up with the New School’s Parsons School of Design. The class began in January 2020 and was the first time Parsons worked to include people with intellectual disabilities in their curriculum.

Former Juventus stars David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero showed their support for the athletes of Special Olympics and our work with refugees by joining recent Special Olympics European Football Week activities!

Njegoš Mihajlović, athlete leader and Special Olympics medallist has become the first person with intellectual disabilities to enrol in a University in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the beginning of 2008, after attending two years of college, I felt a strong pull towards the military. I was a respectable student, but I wanted to experience something more than what my school could offer. I needed to be a part of something that was bigger than myself and ultimately push me to be a better individual. In July of 2008, I enlisted in the United States Army as part of the Military Police. I completed Basic Combat Training and One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. There, I learned how to be a soldier.

Sixteen hours and 46 minutes later, as the nighttime darkness settled in, Chris crossed the finish line and made history of as the first person with Down syndrome to finish a full IRONMAN race.