The Special Olympics have been around for a long time – almost six decades in fact. It has become a rallying cry for people of all walks of life, uniting in an organization volunteers and supporters. On the surface, the Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities a chance to let loose and engage in friendly competition. But underneath, it is so much more. Here are few fun facts about the Special Olympics:
Image source: ocps.net
i) The International Olympic Committee doesn’t allow any other organization to use the word Olympics, except for the Special Olympics.
ii) Over 4 million people from over 170 countries participate in the Special Olympics.
iii) While there is one major event, the Special Olympics is connected to over 90,000 other events globally.
Image source: soiowa.org
iv) The Summer Olympics actually started out as a summer day camp in the home of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The first event included garden variety morning exercises. There were around 50 people who volunteered for this day camp. Today, there are more than a million volunteers helping out the Special Olympics in over 220 sites where the games are held.
v) Special Olympics participants can be as young as eight years old. There is however, a Special Olympics Young Athletes program, where kids as young as two years of age can participate.
vi) Football and basketball are the most popular sports in the Special Olympics.
Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. -- The Special Olympics Oath
Jay Blackmore is an active participant in the projects of the Canadian Progress Club in the city of Regina. One of the organization’s projects is assisting in the Special Olympics in Canada. Discover more about Jay Blackmore and the Special Olympics by subscribing to this Twitter account.
