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Special Olympics Mission
To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. History:
The concept of Special Olympics began in the 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities. She realized that sports and sports training enabled people with intellectual disabilities to achieve success and that success built self-confidence. In 1968, the first International Summer Games for Special Olympics were held at Soldier Field in Chicago. There were 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada. Today more than 1,70,000 athletes in more than 166 countries compete in Special Olympics Programs.