Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disability (mental retardation), a cognitive delay, or a closely-related developmental disability to become physically fit, productive, and respected members of society through sports training and competition.

Special Olympics began in 1968 when Eunice Kennedy Shriver organized the First International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The idea first began when Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disability (mental retardation) in the early 1960’s.

Special Olympics offers children 8 and over and adults with these disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic type summer and winter sports. Special Olympics currently serves more than one million persons in more than 200 programs in more than 150 countries.