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.
National Director of Special Olympics Senegal Pens Op-ED on Providing Resources to People with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Special Olympics Senegal National Director Rajah Sy calls for a fully inclusive response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
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Special Olympics Chile Wins Big in First-Ever Unified eSports Tournament Held in Latin America
For the first time ever in Latin America, gamers with intellectual disabilities played alongside influencers, athletes and professional gamers in a Unified eSports tournament held on 30 July 2020 as a fundraiser for Special Olympics Chile. The teams competed in two FIFA 20 matches and attracted media, sponsor and influencer attention.
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What Apolo Ohno Learned from Sports
“Just like in the Olympics and just like right now, we have to get back up, we have to throw ourselves towards the finish line and we have to continuously keep adapting and reinventing ourselves.”
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Special Olympics Online Learning Portal is Going Global!
After many months of work, Special Olympics is bursting with excitement to share that our online coach education courses are now available in even more global languages.
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Fit-5 Cards Promote Health for Athletes with Limited Access to Online Connectivity in the Africa Region
During a time social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Special Olympics has made a variety of online resources, such as virtual games, workouts and leadership opportunities, available to keep athletes healthy and engaged until in-person activities resume.
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Roberto Gives Inspiration to Special Olympics Zambia Athletes During COVID-19
Special Olympics Zambia, with its partners Sport in Action and University of East London, collaborated with top Zambian musician to produce a music video which has reached over 70,000 plays less than a week after being released.
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Special Olympics Athletes Included as Virtual Fans for NBA Game
To say everything is a bit different these days is an understatement. But the NBA is doing everything it can to make things feel normal.
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Special Olympics Gymnast from California Leads Free Workouts alongside WWE Becky Lynch
Professional video shoots are full of flashing lights, loud noises and new scenarios. For someone with autism who has sensitivity to flashing lights, this setting can be overwhelming and intimidating. But Greg did not let that stop him from participating in the School of Strength fitness series.
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Podcast Highlights ESPN and Special Olympics Relationship
Special Olympics has come a long way since 1968 and now it goes beyond just sports. In the past two weeks, the Landscape Podcast, a series of episodes highlighting people, programs and businesses changing the landscape for individuals with any type of disability, has focused on Special Olympics and ESPN.
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Special Olympics MENA Athlete Leaders Learn to Build Community Service Robots from Home!
The 2nd Special Olympics MENA Regional Athlete Leadership Input Council Meeting was held virtually and attended by 20 Athlete Leaders from 10 programs. During the virtual meeting, all Athlete Leaders participated in a Design Thinking and Recycling Workshop.
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From Teammate to Official
How a Love of Football Helps Hassam Set Goals and Accomplish Them
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School of Strength Debuts in China
This year, Special Olympics launched the School of Strength fitness campaign in response to athletes’ need for at-home workouts. Athletes in the United States and around the world accepted the challenge to get fit and have fun while doing it.
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