Special Olympics as we know it today first began as a day camp by Euince Kennedy Shriver called Camp Shriver. She brought Differently Abled children to her home in fear those children would never have the opportunity to compete in school or recreational athletic events. This event soon became an annual event bringing kids from all over.
The first international event was held in 1968 in Chicago. Then, in 1988 Special Olympics was officially recognized by the International Olympics.
Special Olympics is for everyone that is Differently Abled from eight to eighty years of age. Different states have different training seasons, some have three and others four. There are many sports such as bocce, bowling, cycling, volleyball, powerlifting, soccer, floor hockey, skiing, skating and snowshoeing just to name a few. States with warmer weather and adequate areas of water have water sports like kayaking.
Generally, training clubs last ten or more weeks. At practice we exercise and train to be physically fit and ready for competition day. As with any sport you need to listen to your coaches and follow their rules and suggestions on working out and implementing a healthy routine outside of Special Olympics. Towards the end of our training most of the athletes compete in regional competitions. These are generally a one-day event where we travel to different cities and compete on a lesser scale than state games.
Stay tuned for my next blog on State and World games.