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.
Meet the World Games Athletes: Briton Conor Conway
Briton Conor Conway has lived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for three years and will represent his adopted home at the World Games.
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Sargent Shriver Global Messenger Emanuelle Heads to World Games
Emanuelle de Souza, SO Brazil, started her four-year term as a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger in January 2019.
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‘Play Unified. Learn Unified’ project team looks to the future
The Global Project Team of the ‘Play Unified. Learn Unified’ project funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) had the opportunity to meet and look towards the future of the project under the sunny San Diego skies at the recent Unified Champion Schools Conference.
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Meet the World Games Athletes: Clara Lehmkuhl
Clara is one of only three people with Down Syndrome in the world officially certified as a Zumba instructor.
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Spread the Word: Inclusion
We founded Spread the Word to End the Word in 2009 with an audacious belief, a plain observation, an urgent goal, and an ambitious plan.
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Nail-Biting Ending at the 2019 Special Olympics Unified NBA All-Star Game
This year’s annual NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified basketball game during NBA All-Star weekend was full of fun, talent and excitement. Special Olympics assembled 12 international players to gather in Charlotte, NC to represent their countries, cities and a global movement of inclusion. The players were broken up into two teams of five Special Olympics athletes, with intellectual disabilities. Each team was joined by four international sport celebrities without intellectual disabilities to create a “home” and an “away” team for the Unified basketball game.
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ESPN announces World Games 2019 coverage
In just under one month, ESPN’s global coverage of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi will begin with a live three-hour special.
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AIPS support of Special Olympics brings power to sport
For people with intellectual disabilities, the word no is often as familiar in their lives as it is unwelcome.
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Special Olympics France welcomes swimming champion Alain Bernard as Ambassador
The Special Olympics family has grown a little bigger with the recent announcement that Alain Bernard has joined Special Olympics France as an Ambassador!
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Special Olympics Israel challenges national icons to #PlayUnified!
Special Olympics Israel athletes are daring Israel’s most famous sports icons to Play Unified with them, and they’re calling on the public to help make it happen!
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Happy Valentine’s Day from Matthew and Crystal
Valentine’s Day is a day meant to share with your significant other how much they mean to you, the difference it makes having them in your life, and most importantly how much you love each other.
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Countdown to World Games! One Month To go
One month from now, the most unified World Games in the history of the Special Olympics movement kicks off in the UAE on 14 March.
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