Special Olympics

 

The Special Olympic World Games is the World’s Largest Sports Organization for Children and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

The Special Olympic World Games started in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver (Sister of US President John F. Kennedy) in honor of her Sister, Rosemary Kennedy, who had Developmental Disabilities and was forced to have a Lobotomy by her Parents when she was 23 years old, which was unsuccessful, and she was then sent to an Institution in Wisconsin.

Her Brothers and Sisters weren’t told of any of this until after their Father had a Stroke in 1961 and was unable to speak and it was only after his death in 1969 that they were told which Institution Rosemary was in and were finally allowed to visit her. Rosemary died in 2005.

There are different Special Olympic State Games held in every US State and Territory. There is also the Special Olympics USA – which is at the National Level.

The Special Olympics USA, which is part of the 203 other Special Olympic National Teams around the world, was established in 1968 and holds the Special Olympic USA Games in the United States every 4 years.

To sum this up: Each US State/Territory has its own Special Olympic Chapters and most hold their own State/Territory Games. Then there is the National Special Olympics Chapter which holds the Special Olympic USA Games to which any US State/Territory Chapter can attend. Then there is the Special Olympic World Games which any Special Olympic National Team (like Team USA) can attend.

The first Special Olympic Summer World Games were held in Chicago in 1968 and had 1,000 Athletes from the US and Canada.

The first Special Olympic Winter World Games were held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 1977 and had 500 Athletes.

The International Olympic Committee officially allowed the Special Olympics to use the term “Olympics” in their name in 1971 making it an official Olympic Sporting Competition (along with the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.)

After the official approval from the International Olympic Committee more Countries (besides the US and Canada) started sending Teams to the Special Olympic World Summer and Winter Games.

Unlike, the Paralympic and Olympic Games which hold a Summer Olympics every 2 years and then a Winter Olympics every 2 years and both being held in the same city the Special Olympic World Games are held every 2 years (Summer every 2 years and Winter every 2 years), but in different cities than the other Olympics.

The first Special Olympic Summer World Games held outside the United States was in 2003 in Dublin, Ireland with 6,500 Athletes from 166 Countries.

The first Special Olympic Winter World Games held outside the United States was in 1993 in Salzburg,  Austria with 1,600 Athletes from 50 Countries.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s Son, Timothy Shriver, took over as the Chairman of the Special Olympics in 1996. Eunice Kennedy Shriver died in 2009.

There were no Special Olympic Winter or Summer World Games from 2020-2022 because of the Covid Pandemic.

The 2022 Special Olympic Winter World Games were supposed to be held in Kazan, Russia and while first postponed because of Covid they were eventually cancelled because of Russia’s War in Ukraine.

The Special Olympics World Games’ Flame of Hope is lit in Athens, Greece and then travels around the world until it reaches the city hosting the current Games (much like the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.)

The 2023 Special Olympics World Games was held in Berlin, Germany.

The 2027 Special Olympics World Games will be held in Santiago, Chile.

Note: The Special Olympics World Games are different from the Paralympics (which will be held in Paris, France from August 28-September 8, 2024.)