A Global Movement with Local Impact

Isle of Man Special Olympics is part of a global movement started by President John Kennedy's sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

She believed that intellectual disabilities didn't make a person less capable or deserving than people without. So in an act of defiant kindness, she invited 35 children with intellectual disabilities into her own backyard. She called the event 'Camp Shriver'. The day camp gave the children a chance to explore, through sport, their own unique capabilities.

By 1968, Camp Shriver had developed into an international competition.

Today, Special Olympics Inc serves over 2.25 million athletes in 169 countries. Every year over 30,000 competitions are held throughout the world with athletes able to compete in 26 Olympic-type sports. That makes this not-for-profit organisation the world's largest provider of sports training and competition for people with an intellectual disability.

Special Olympics is no longer just an event, it is a worldwide movement where one can act locally, but make a global statement of acceptance and inclusion for all.