The Special Olympics
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in my attempt.” — The Special Olympics Oath
Not everybody can play a sport like Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm. Some people just find it challenging to finish a game they’ve started. Other folks won’t rest until they’ve tasted victory– there are all types of people! The Special Olympics honor the athlete in everybody. People with disabilities face challenges that non-disabled people could never imagine. Take that into consideration when you think of disabled folks pushing themselves to the limit in their sport of choice. The Special Olympics games invite disabled people to partake in the camaraderie, competition and fun of sports. They are provided a chance for athletes to learn that there are no losers in this world. Here, people with disabilities demonstrate that they don’t let challenges keep them down!
Over 1 million athletes prepare for The Special Olympics every year with more than 140 thousand trained coaches. Everyone involved in these events are influenced by the determination and spirit of the athletes. The Special Olympics encourage fitness, motor skills, better self image, friendships and self-esteem in the participants.
Some athletes train all year long in their sport. Many participate in more than one sport. Some Special Olympians have gone on to break records in the non-disabled community. And their stories are incredible. Imagine having difficulty walking, but through grit and determination, winning medals in The Special Olympics. Moreover, imagine becoming the co-captain of your non-disabled track team and running in all-state competitions! Sound impossible? Well, you just never know until you try. And trying is what The Special Olympics are all about.
The Special Olympics was founded in the 1960’s by Eunice Shriver Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy. Their sister, Rosemary, was disabled and was continually getting worse. This spurred Mrs. Shriver Kennedy to create something wonderful for disabled kids. In 1962, she and her husband began a day-camp in Maryland and invited a few dozen children with mental and physical disabilities to participate. Some found that they were far more capable in sports than they had realized… this gave way to the Special Olympics which were first held in an official capacity in 1963 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. That day in July, over a thousand mentally challenged athletes competed in track, floor hockey and aquatic events.
By the 1990’s, over seven thousand athletes from more than 143 countries competed in more than twenty-one sport events. We are all unique creatures on this planet, and we are capable of amazing feats. The Special Olympics encourage the most special people to shine.
