The Special Olympics movement got its start on 20 July 1968, when the First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. But the concept of Special Olympics was born much earlier, when founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962. Today, with sports at the core, Special Olympics now stands as a leader in the field of intellectual disability, making incredible strides in the areas of health, education, family support, research and attitude and policy change in more than 200 Programs in over 160 countries around the world.

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter sports.

Today, Special Olympics is a truly global movement, with more than 500,000 athletes in China, more than 210,000 in India, almost 550,000 in the United States, more than 600 in Afghanistan and 4,400 athletes in Rwanda. Special Olympics World Games were held in Ireland in 2003, Japan in 2005 and Shanghai, China hosted the World Summer Games in 2007. Most importantly, Special Olympics sharpened the focus on its mission as not just "nice," but critical, not just as a sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, but also as an effective catalyst for social change.

The Mission of Special Olympics

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, 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.

The Vision of Special Olympics

Special Olympics is an unprecedented global movement which, through quality sports training and competition, improves the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and, in turn, the lives of everyone they touch.

Special Olympics empowers people with intellectual disabilities to realize their full potential and develop their skills through year-round sports training and competition.

As a result, Special Olympics athletes become fulfilled and productive members of their families and the communities in which they live.

Special Olympics is an experience that is energizing, healthy, skillful, welcoming and joyful.

The Olympic Movement

As the largest amateur sports organization in the world, Special Olympics has established relationships with many of the leading sports organizations, as well as other nonprofit organizations. Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The principal differences between the two lie in the disability of participating athletes and levels of sports ability. In addition, Special Olympics is the only organization that the International Olympic Committee has given permission to use the word "Olympics."

The Athlete Oath

During the Opening Ceremonies of each competition, an athlete repeats the inspiring words once used by the gladiators as they entered the arena “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”