Inclusion

As part of an effort to amplify the voice of Special Olympics across the world of sport and fashion, Special Olympics teamed up with the New School’s Parsons School of Design. The class began in January 2020 and was the first time Parsons worked to include people with intellectual disabilities in their curriculum.

Former Juventus stars David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero showed their support for the athletes of Special Olympics and our work with refugees by joining recent Special Olympics European Football Week activities!

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.

As the sun barely began to rise at 5:52am on Saturday morning, 7 November 2022, Special Olympics Florida athlete Chris Nikic and his Unified partner and coach Dan Grieb, entered the water in Panama City at the start of the IRONMAN Florida triathlon. 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.

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!

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.

In 2020, the United Nations marks 75 years of working toward “peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.” On United Nations Day, we celebrate the UN’s work with a look at some of the Special Olympics athlete leaders, from around the world, who have spoken before UN audiences throughout the years.

What are the benefits of inclusion? Just ask Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President & General Manager of ESPN+, speaking here with Special Olympics athlete Daina Shilts, who’s been part of ESPN’s broadcast team covering World Games. Russell says working with people with intellectual disabilities inspires everyone “to be more thoughtful and to be more interested in people who are different.” He adds, “[Inclusion] also makes us better at what we do every day.”

Banele is a South Africa athlete and athlete leader who built on his basketball and athletics skills to become a coach. Then, he became decided to share his training techniques with others in his community.