Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Find Special Olympics Near Me
We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.
Your Program
Based on your location, your local program is %location%.
Your location could not be automatically determined. Choose a program below:
Your Special Olympics Local Program:
Looking for a different local program? Choose a program from the list below:

Stories

""
These global stories are about the power of Special Olympics to inspire hope, confidence and courage. Special Olympics changes the lives of our athletes with intellectual disabilities but also our coaches, families, volunteers and others who have the opportunity to take part.

From Fear to Triumph: Meet Stephanie

Through sports, Special Olympics athletes build skills and become leaders—on the field and in the community. Stephanie Handojo can tell you all about it! For Stephanie, swimming has been a great way to shatter stereotypes about the skills and stamina of people with Down syndrome. But to do this, she had to overcome many obstacles, including a huge one: her fear of water.
1 Min Read

Nitzeida: Working for Inclusion All Her Life

Nitzeida was 11 when her mother died and her grandmother took her in, even as some of her siblings were living in the streets of Panama City. These were rough times, but one day Nitzeida saw something that gave her hope.
1 Min Read

Timothy Shriver Recollects Some of His Life’s Most Impactful Moments

Life Beyond Sport podcast host Nick Keller recently asked Special Olympics Board of Director Chairman Timothy Shriver, Ph.D about the three most transformative sports moments of his life.
1 Min Read

National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Practice Inclusion During Down Syndrome Month and All Year Long
2 Min Read

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

Bullying is Common, Especially for People With Intellectual Disabilities
2 Min Read

Maureen McCormick Discusses Advocating for Inclusion on FOX Sports Radio

Special Olympics Global Ambassador Maureen McCormick recently spoke to Kelsey Nicole Nelson on KNN/Fox Sports Radio. They discussed family members with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics sporting competition, Unified Champion Schools and Inclusive Health.
1 Min Read

Why the R-Word Is the R-Slur

Practice Inclusion: End the Use of the R-Word The research shows that when social media users are posting about people with intellectual disabilities, 7 in every 10 of those posts are negative, and 6 in 10 contain a slur.
2 Min Read

Willson Contreras and Gleyber Torres Global Ambassador Announcement is a Home Run

Major League Baseball All-Stars Willson Contreras and Gleyber Torres joined Special Olympics as the first MLB players to be named Global Ambassadors.
1 Min Read

ICCE Coaches Day

Special Olympics joins the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) on Coaches Day 2020 to celebrate Special Olympics coaches worldwide.

Kindness is What We All Need

This blog article, written by Hanna Joy Atkinson, a Special Olympics Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger, was originally posted by Special Olympics North America. Lady Gaga recently interviewed Hanna who served as a reporter for Lady Gaga’s Channel Kindness, the digital platform for her Born This Way Foundation.
2 Min Read

Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM Explores the Power of Unified Champions Schools

Special Olympics Vice President of Global Youth Engagement Soeren Palumbo discussed the expansion and importance of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools© with Dan Loney, host of Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM radio.
1 Min Read

Special Olympics Launches Digital Football Hub for Athletes

Football star Seamus Coleman backs campaign to support players during Covid-19 crisis.
3 Min Read