Special Olympics History
Special Olympics is a Canadian born concept conceived by Dr.
Frank Hayden, of London, Ontario.
Dr. Hayden conceived the idea of a "special"
olympics to support his research that individuals with a mental handicap were
capable of fitness levels beyond previous thinking.
Special Olympics has grown since the mid-sixties to service over
1.5 million mentally handicapped athletes in more than 160 countries around
the world.
Special Olympics is a charitable, volunteer driven organization, dedicated to the physical, social and psychological development of people with a mental handicap through positive, successful experiences in sport.
Why Special Olympics?
Research conducted in Canada and the United States offers strong evidence that physical training and athletic competition for people with a mental handicap not only enhances their physical development, but their social and emotional development as well.
The concept of Special Olympics began in the 1960's when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with mental retardation. She realized through first hand experience that sports and sports training culminating in Olympic-style athletic competition enables people with mental retardation to achieve success, therefore building self -esteem.
In 1968, the first international Summer Special Olympics' Games were held at Soldier's Field in Chicago for 1,000 athletes from the United States, Canada and France. Since then, Special Olympics has had a worldwide impact. The Games, based on the modern-Olympic spirit and tradition complete with the torch and medals, truly embodies the words of Olympics' founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin:
"The important thing is not to win but to take part. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
From these words evolved the Special Olympics' athletes oath...
"Let me win, But if I cannot win, Let me brave in the attempt."
Canadian Special Olympics
In the early sixties, testing of children with mental handicaps revealed that they were only half as physically fit as their non-challenged peers. It was assumed that their low fitness levels were a direct result of mental retardation. A Toronto researcher and professor, Dr. Frank Hayden, questioned this assumption. Working with a control group of children on an intense fitness program, he proved that, given the opportunity, mentally challenged people could become physically fit and acquire the physical skills necessary to participate in sport.
Inspired by his discoveries, Dr. Hayden began searching for ways to develop a national sports program for mentally challenged people. It was a goal he eventually achieved, although not in Canada. His work came to the attention of the Kennedy Foundation in Washington, D.C. and led to the creation of Special Olympics. The first sports competitions organized under the Special Olympic's banner were held at Soldier's Field in Chicago in 1968. To ensure that Canada was represented, Dr. Hayden called on an old friend, Harry "Red" Foster.
The late Harry "Red" Foster was an outstanding sportsman, a famous broadcaster, a successful businessman and humanitarian. His tireless efforts on behalf of mentally challenged people has already brought him international acclaim. Inspired by his mother's devotion to his younger brother, who was both blind and mentally challenged. Mr. Foster began early in his career to devote much of his time, energy and wealth to addressing the problems faced by individuals with a mental handicap and their families.
Accompanying a floor hockey team from Toronto to those first Games in Chicago, "Red" was quick to see in Special Olympics a further opportunity to enhance the lives of mentally challenged Canadians. Upon returning to Canada he set about laying the foundation for the Canadian Special Olympics' movement. The following summer, 1969, the first Canadian Special Olympics' event was held in Toronto. From this modest beginning, the Special Olympics' movement quickly spread across the country and grew into the national sports organization it is today.
Ontario Special Olympics
Incorporated in 1980, Ontario Special Olympics now offers sport and recreation programs for persons with a mental handicap in over 200 different communities throughout Ontario. With over athletes involved in official sports and a variety of community recreation programs.
International Special Olympics History
June l963
Eunice Kennedy Shriver starts a summer day-camp for children and adults with mental retardation at her home in Maryland to explore their capabilities in a variety of sports and physical activities.
July 19-20, 1968
Together with the Chicago Park District, the Kennedy Foundation plans and underwrites the first International Special Olympics Games. Held in Chicago's Soldier Field, with 1,000 athletes with mental retardation from 26 states and Canada competing in track and field, floor hockey and aquatics.
December 1968
Special Olympics, Inc. is established as a not-for-profit charitable organization under the laws of the District of Columbia. The National Association for Retarded Citizens, the Council for Exceptional Children and the American Association on Mental Deficiency pledge their support for this first systematic effort to provide sports training and athletic competition for individuals with mental retardation based on the Olympic tradition and spirit.
August 13-15, 1970
The second International Special Olympics Games take place in Chicago, Illinois, with 2,000 athletes from all 50 states in the Union, the District of Columbia, France and Puerto Rico.
August 13-18, 1972
The third International Special Olympics Games take place at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles with 2,500 participants.
August 7-11, 1975
The fourth International Special Olympics Games take place at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, with 3,200 athletes from 10 countries taking part. The Games are broadcast nationwide on CBS' "Sports Spectacular."
February 5-11, 1977
The first International Winter Special Olympics Games are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with more than 500 athletes competing in skiing and skating events. CBS, ABC and NBC television networks cover the Games.
August 8-13, 1979
The fifth International Summer Special Olympics Games take place at the State University of New York at Brockport with more than 3,500 athletes from every state in the U.S. and more than 20 countries.
1980-1981
Special Olympics launches a training and certification program for coaches and publishes the first Sports Skills Guide.
March 8-13,1981
The second International Winter Special Olympics Games are held at the Village of Smugglers' Notch and Stowe, Vermont, with more than 600 Alpine and cross country skiers and ice skaters participating.
July 12-18, 1983
The sixth International Summer Special Olympics Games are held at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. A crowd of more than 60,000 attends the Opening Ceremonies and approximately 4,000 athletes participate.
1984
The first official Special Olympics Sports Rules Book is published, formalizing earlier versions.
March 24-29, 1985
Athletes from 14 countries are represented in skiing and skating events at the third International Winter Special Olympics Games in Park City, Utah.
September 1986
The International Year of Special Olympics, culminating in the 1987 International Summer Special Olympics Games, is launched at the United Nations in New York City under the banner "Special OlympicsUniting the World."
July 1987
More than 30,000 law enforcement officers from every state in the U.S. and seven countries run 26,000 miles in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The 1987 Torch Run raises more than $2 million.
July 31-August 8, 1987
The University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, host the seventh International Summer Special Olympics Games. More than 4,700 athletes from over 70 countries participate in 1987's largest amateur sports event. The Games are covered in Sports Illustrated and Time, and reach more than 150 million people worldwide.
October 1987
Jimmy and Vicki lovine of A&M Records and Bobby Shriver produce A Very Special Christmas, featuring holiday music performed by top rock & roll performers, with all album proceeds benefiting Special Olympics programs worldwide.
February 1988
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) signs an historic agreement officially recognizing Special Olympics.
July 1988
Special Olympics Unified Sports® is launched at the annual Special Olympics Conference in Reno, Nevada.
April 1-8, 1989
The fourth International Winter Special Olympics Games are held in Reno, Nevada, and Lake Tahoe, California. More than 1,000 athletes from 18 countries participate.
February 11, 1990
ABC-TV's "Life Goes On"the first prime time television drama starring an actor with mental retardationdevotes an hour-long episode to Special Olympics.
February 14, 1990
Sargent Shriver announces the historic decision by the Soviet Union to join the Special Olympics movement. Special Olympics is the first charitable organization to implement such a program at local and national levels in the USSR.
July 20-27, 1990
The third European Summer Special Olympics Games are held in Strathclyde, Scotland. Thirty European countries are represented by 2,400 athletes participating in eight official and five demonstration sports.
July 19-27, 1991
The eighth International Summer Special Olympics Games are held in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Six thousand athletes from more than 100 countries make this the largest sporting event in the world in 1991.
September 30, 1992
Special Olympics kicks off its 25th Anniversary Celebration"Together We Win"at the United Nations in New York City, where the 25th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit is officially launched before beginning a nationwide tour.
March 20-27, 1993
The fifth Special Olympics World Winter Games are held in Salzburg and Schladming, with 1,600 athletes from more than 50 countries participating in five winter sports. These are the first World Winter Games held outside North America.
July 1-9, 1995
Over 7,000 athletes from 143 countries gather in New Haven, Connecticut, for competition in 21 sports at the ninth Special Olympics World Games.
Feb 1-8, 1997
2000 athletes from 90 countries attend the world Winter Games in Toronto and Collingwood, Ontario Canada.
1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina the week of June 26-July 4.
2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games
held in Anchorage Alaska
2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Dublin Ireland
2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Nagano Japan
2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Shanghai China
Number of Special Olympcs Athletes Worldwide
(as of 1995)
Region Number
Africa 20,165
Asia/Pacific Rim 79,075
Canada 16,000
Caribbean 5,272
Europe 249,949
Latin America 125,200
Middle East 3,670
United States 438,549
(as of 1995)
Number of family members in the U.S. involved with Special Olympics: more than one million Number of family members around the world involved with Special Olympics: more than two million
Number of Special Olympics volunteers in the U.S.: 454,000
Number of Special Olympics volunteers outside the U.S.: 100,000
Number of coaches in the U.S.: 125,000
Number of coaches worldwide: 250,000