Chapter 1: Introduction
The Special Olympics provides opportunity to change the
lives of the developmentally disabled. Success is knowing you did the best that
you could do. As the athletes in the Special Olympics compete and do their
best, despite challenges which arrive, they are benefited in mental, physical,
and social aspects of life.
"For
David, who has Down syndrome, his many achievements haven’t come easily. That’s
where determination comes in – to keep pushing even when things seem hard. David
says he learned that as a young athlete. “Special Olympics taught me to
succeed, to set a goal and do my best,” says David. “It changed my life.”
David is also marking 15 years working at the technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. He and his family say his path to success began early; in many ways, it began with sports. His mom, Kathleen, says young David worked hard to compete in local swimming events, where he was the only swimmer with disabilities. “But David was a competitor and wanted to be Number 1,” says his mom. “And that was hard in a pool of strong swimmers who broke records.” When he joined Special Olympics, Kathleen says he began to really gain confidence and build self-esteem. “He could be his best and be Number 1,” she says. “For us parents, the greatest thing was to see his joy and motivation…and celebrate his successes.”" (http://www.specialolympics.org/Regions/north-america/News-and-Stories/Stories/David-Egan--Finding-His-Voice.aspx)
David is also marking 15 years working at the technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. He and his family say his path to success began early; in many ways, it began with sports. His mom, Kathleen, says young David worked hard to compete in local swimming events, where he was the only swimmer with disabilities. “But David was a competitor and wanted to be Number 1,” says his mom. “And that was hard in a pool of strong swimmers who broke records.” When he joined Special Olympics, Kathleen says he began to really gain confidence and build self-esteem. “He could be his best and be Number 1,” she says. “For us parents, the greatest thing was to see his joy and motivation…and celebrate his successes.”" (http://www.specialolympics.org/Regions/north-america/News-and-Stories/Stories/David-Egan--Finding-His-Voice.aspx)
The Beginning of Something Incredible
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| Eunice Kennedy Shriver (http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/2011/09/14/the-stars-align/) |
"Born into wealth
and power, the middle child of nine in this country's version of a royal
family, Eunice Kennedy Shriver chose to lobby for the powerless... she never
twisted arms or peddled
her influence to build her own power base. She used it to help those who were
invisible or perceived to be an embarrassment by the population at large...[And
did this] in no small part because her older sister, Rosemary, had "a mild
form of mental retardation," in the parlance of the day.
Eunice was a good athlete (her
favorite sports were swimming, sailing, and, of course, touch football, the
Kennedy ancestral game) and she was frustrated by the dearth of athletic
opportunities afforded women in the 1930s and '40s. At the same time, she saw
how much worse it was for the intellectually challenged in a society that
rarely educated citizens with such conditions, much less thought about organizing
them into athletic competitions. So Eunice did what Kennedys do: She made some
noise and moved around the furniture.
"When I've talked
to her about it, the word she comes to is 'anger,'" says Tim [her son] of
the wellspring of his mother's activism. "She is really tough and
ambitious and strong-willed, but she also has this vulnerable and empathic
side. After watching the struggles of her sister and visiting institutions and
seeing this enormous amount of human suffering, and at the same time coming
from a place where women didn't have equal opportunity in sports, she just
couldn't take it anymore."
Eunice began by using funds from the
Kennedy Foundation (started by her father, Joseph, and mother, Rose) to create
programs for the intellectually disabled. Then she instituted Camp Shriver Chicago
Since then, its emphasis has changed
but always with the goal of improving people's lives. In the beginning the
Games were based on the model of the modern Olympiad. Allowed to compete was
any person, regardless of age, who had a below-average intellectual functioning
(two years or more behind their peers) and significant limitations in the
adaptive skill areas needed to live, work and play in the community.
Now the organization has become far
more ambitious, using athletes to bring preventive medicine to the
intellectually challenged throughout the world." (http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/bios/si)
The spark
for the beginning of the Special Olympics was in the 1950's. Eunice Kennedy
Shriver had a personal connection to developmentally disabled individuals because
of her sister Rose. She had a great desire to allow the mentally disabled to
show what they can do, to show their skills.
There are
over 3 million athletes who participate in the Special Olympics today. The
Special Olympics debuted on July
20th, 1968 , and in the words of Chicago mayor Richard Daley, "You know
Eunice, the world will never be the same after this."
Richard
Daley was completely correct in his statement. After the Special Olympics began,
a huge impact was made on the world, for the better: this worldwide event gives
visibility to people throughout the world with developmental disabilities. (http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/bios/si)
In the words of Nelson Mandela, shortly after the death
of Eunice Shriver he says ,"Her voice will echo each time the oath is
recited, her fire will burn each time the flame is lit and her legacy will live
and grow through every athlete in every competition, daily, around the
world." (http://www.specialolympics.org/history.aspx)
Having the world recognize this and see how
individuals are affected, but also how much immense potential they have, leads
to positive effects in societies such as inclusion, acceptance, understanding,
respect, and even admiration. The
Special Olympics also encourages both physical and social activities amongst
the developmentally disabled. Special Olympic athletes have been found to
benefit greatly from their involvement as their self-esteem and self-confidence
increase, as well as a sense of commitment, hard work and dedication. They also
improve sport skills which can help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Studies
demonstrating the relationship between being Special Olympic athletes and being
able to obtain employment indicate that individuals who have participated in
these Olympics are five times more likely to get hired. This is due to all the
great skills learned and contacts made from their participation. (http://www.specialolympics.org/history.aspx)
The Special
Olympic Oath is inspiring and a wonderful motto by which to live. Before
competing athletes take this oath:
"Let me win. But
if I cannot win,
let me be brave in the
attempt."
These words truly embody how these exceptional athletes
go out and give it their all.
Video of Hayden Schunk Reciting the Special Olympic Oath
Special Olympics Requirements
To participate in the Special Olympics certain
qualifications need to be met. To be categorized as an individual with an
intellectual disability the following criteria must be met:
1. Intellectual functioning
level (IQ) is below 70-75
2. Significant limitations
exist in two or more adaptive skill areas
3. The condition manifests
itself before the age of 18. (http://www.specialolympics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/fact_sheet_intellectual_disabilities.pdf)
The Special Olympics
organization requires identification
from a professional agency stating that an individual has an intellectual
disability. This is to be determined in their own local areas.
Changes in Special Olympics
First Special Olympic Games
The first Special Olympic Games were held at Soldier
Field in Chicago , in 1968, and it was a day long
event with participants from all over Canada
and the United States
A Name for the Games
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, along with Anne McGlone Burke,
began to take the idea farther. These individuals created a team and were
sponsored by the JPK Jr. Foundation (because of Eunice Kennedy Shriver's family
relations). From this point on, the committee decided they would host games
every two years and called them "Biennial International Special
Olympics". In 1971, the United States Olympic Committee granted permission
to the advisory committee of the Special Olympics to officially use the name
"Olympics" for their games. (http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/What_We_Do/Out_of_the_Shadows__Events_Leading_to_the_Founding_of_Special_Olympics.aspx)
Official Recognition
The winter games began in 1977 hosted in Steamboat Springs , Colorado ,
U.S.A.
Healthy Athletes Program
In 1997 the Healthy Athletes program began to become a
huge addition The Healthy Athletes program has made a great impact on the
athletes participating in the Special Olympics.
(http://resources.specialolympics.org/Topics/Healthy_Athletes/Healthy_Athletes_Resources.aspx) This program ensures the athletes are in good
health and well prepared to perform and do the best they can. The program
offers free health screenings at all levels of the games. "Healthy Athletes currently offers health
screenings in seven areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy),
Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology),
MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision) and Special Smiles
(dentistry)." (http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/What_We_Do/Healthy_Athletes/Health_Programs.aspx?source=QL)Currently,
the Special Olympics are the largest global health organization that is
completely dedicated to aiding individuals with developmental disabilities.
This program first became a Special Olympic initiative in 1997. (http://www.specialolympics.org/history.aspx)
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| Healthy Athletes employee members help determine and improve the well being of Special Olympic athletes. (http://www.sotx.org/programs/healthy-athletes-program.html) |
International Recognition
2003 was a huge step forward in international recognition
and acceptance in countries where developmental disabilities were hidden rather
than celebrated. The first Special Olympics to be held outside of the U.S.A. , took place in Dublin , Ireland North
America , it became more visible to the rest of the world. Actor
Collin Farrell describes this event as “one of the most extraordinary
experiences of my life and I think the lives of many people in Ireland
Video of the Impact the Special Olympics in Dublin, Ireland 2003 had
Through the years this event has brought a great deal of
awareness to developmental disabilities and brought about more acceptances to
these individuals. (http://www.thescore.ie/10-year-anniversary-special-olympics-ireland-colin-farrell-video-951469-Jun2013/)
Special
Olympic athletes come from all over the world as seen through the list below.
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Europe
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Special Olympics Sports Offered
The Special
Olympics offer a wide range of sports. Currently the sports offered are:
·
Aquatics
·
Bocce
·
Bowling
·
Cycling
·
Golf
·
Soccer
·
Softball
Levels of Special Olympics
The
worldwide Special Olympics takes place every two years alternating between
summer and winter games, however the Special Olympics also takes place on
different levels. Games are hosted on the provincial/territorial/state level in
North America as well as on the national level in certain countries including, Canada , U.S.A, South
Africa , Brazil .
There are also games held on a regional level in some areas of the world which
include a number of countries in the same region. (http://www.specialolympics.ca/be-involved/coaches/training-and-certification/;
http://www.specialolympics.org/program_locator.aspx)
Conclusion
Throughout
the years from the time the Special Olympics was first created to our current
day, the opportunities for developmentally disabled individuals have increased
significantly. Through the addition of more sports, involvement of more
countries, different levels of Special Olympics offered and the Healthy
Athletes program, the developmentally disabled individuals have greater
opportunity to participate within this event and gain mental, physical and
social benefits. They also have the chance to feel successful as there are
sporting events they can work towards
succeeding in.
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