Stories

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.

Moeti Clement Sethunya takes a well-rounded approached to coaching football (soccer) and floor hockey at Special Olympics South Africa using it as a building block to athlete employment.

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.

In 2004, 14-year old Ashley Adie experienced true inclusion for the first time. During a Special Olympics British Columbia Regional swim meet, Adie would enjoy the competition, but she found something much more than the ribbons and personal bests that day.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Abby Resnick could no longer participate in competitions, coach floor hockey, and teach drum and tone for people with special needs. She started to look for new activities to do at home.

Tune-in to the Ben and Bilal Show on Canada Talks 167/SiriusXM every Wednesday at 5:30pm for the recurring Special Olympics segment to explore how the people, events and programs make the movement so powerfully inclusive. They will talk to Special Olympics athletes, celebrity Ambassadors and supporters, staff and more!

In my role as a Special Olympics coach, Special Olympics Iran athletes taught me about the pivotal role that the Special Olympics athletes play in society.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave a majority of sports and events on hold, Special Olympics launched Call To Action, an initiative to encourage our athletes to remain active and lift their spirits by surprising them with a phone call from their heroes.

Novie Craven is a Special Olympics DC athlete of more than 10 years, a gold medalist on the national stage, a Special Olympics employee, and an all-around leader of the Special Olympics movement. She recently rocked it during an interview with Kelsey Nicole Nelson on KNN/Fox Sports Radio.

Three Special Olympics athletes are featured in the recently released New York Times Best Seller Humans.

There he is, alone, with mother nature. Unlacing his shoes and removing his socks, he walks barefoot on the Iowa soil. Depending on the day, a shadow might reflect off the cool grass. The crisp sharpness of the earth glides across his skin helping Tyler Leech disconnect from the world.