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.
On the Margins of the Margins: The Story of Abdullah Najim
Abdullah Najim is a 19-year-old refugee from Iraq. He is also a Special Olympics gold medal winner athlete!
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South Carolina Hosted 2017 Special Olympics North America Tennis Championship
Over 120 athletes plus 36 Unified Partners representing 10 states competed on beautiful Hilton Head Island.
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How Forest Hills Eastern High School Stood Out
The school was selected as the first school in Michigan to be a Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Banner program.
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Giorgos Papadopoulos Transformed a Fear Into a Passion
At 40, the Greek athlete has become a very successful Special Olympics swimmer. Learn why that might have been unlikely.
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One4All Foundation Growing Unified Sports in Great Britain
The project, funded by Thierry Henry’s One4All Foundation, has had 71 schools and over 4,200 pupils participate.
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Union and Resilience in Mexico after 2017 Earthquake
Learn how members of Special Olympics Mexico continued working together to support the country and continue with their lives.
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Floorball Coaches Met in Dublin
As floorball’s popularity grows in our movement across the globe, Dublin played host to a unique Special Olympics coaching seminar.
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Boitumelo Pule Learned an Important Health Lesson
Learn what this South African athlete, who was a part of the Special Olympics South Africa SO Fit training, found out.
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USAID-Supported Youth Leaders in Serbia Invite Hometown Unified Sports Heroes to Recruit New Players
In Cacak, Serbia the inclusive youth activation committee (YAC) invited hometown heroes who had won the recent Special Olympics European Unified Volleyball tournament in Poland to participate in a come-and-try Unified Volleyball session at a local sports hall. “We thought that the experienced Unified players could inspire current and new Unified Volleyball players to join Special Olympics,” said Nikola Jovicic, (19) one of the four YAC members. “On the volleyball court playing together as equals is where we learn to respect each other," he said. Approximately 50 youth from the local special and mainstream school took part in the event. The YAC, comprised of four youth with and without intellectual disabilities, is one of 10 established in 10 cities in Serbia in a two-year USAID-supported project that aims to foster understanding and inclusion among youth. Using inclusive sports as a platform, youth are given opportunities to learn about and participate in leadership and advocacy.
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Special Olympics Albania Held '#Be Active' Day in Tirana City Center
Special Olympics Albania joined the European Week of Sport for the first time with a fun day held in September 2017.
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Special Olympics, UNICEF Hold Inclusive Fun Day in Kosovo
Special Olympics brought together 40 children for an inclusive Young Athletes event on 29 September 2017 in Pristina.
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Special Olympics Leadership Academy Visited MENA Region
Representatives from Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt & Oman brought energy to the Academy.
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