Special Olympics International
Management: Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder and Honorary Chairman; Timothy P. Shriver, Board Chairman and Bruce Pasternack , President and CEO.
Goal: All persons with mental retardation to have the chance to become useful and productive citizens who are accepted and respected.
Oath: Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt!
Special Olympics is an international program that involves:
- 1 million Special Olympics athletes
- More than 200 Special Olympics Programs
- Athletes in more than 160 countries around the world
- 26 Olympic-type sports
- 7 regional offices � Belgium; Egypt; Zimbabwe; India; China; Brazil; USA
- Over 1 million volunteers around the world
- More than 140,000 coaches around the world
- More than 20,000 competitions around the world each year
Special Olympics began in 1968 Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy, organized the First International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This moment marked the beginning of Special Olympics movement for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The Special Olympics mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with mental retardation, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Personalities
Personalities have surrounded the Special Olympics movement starting with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Nelson Mandela and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Famous musicians including U2, Jon Bon-Jovi and Stevie Wonder and legendary sports figures such as Michael Jordon, Nadia Comaneci, and Bart Conner have promoted Special Olympics, participating in international events and helping change international public opinion on individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Nadia Comaneci, Vice-Chair of the Board Of Directors of International Special Olympics & Horary Chair of Special Olympics Romania; and Bart Conner, together supported the athletes at the Special Olympics International Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland in 2003 and the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan in 2005.
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