About Special Olympics Arizona
SPECIAL OLYMPICS HISTORY
In 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver began a summer day camp at her home in Maryland for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This camp was designed to allow these special individuals a chance to explore their capabilities in a variety of sports and physical activities. The idea quickly took off, and in 1968 the first International Special Olympics took place at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, with 1, 000 athletes from the US and Canada competing in Track & Field and Swimming.
In 1975, the hard work and good will of Shriver's efforts reached Arizona. The first Special Olympics Arizona competition consisted of a one-day Track & Field event with 100 athletes and 20 volunteers. Today, Special Olympics Arizona offers 22 sports, 170 programs in 15 regional areas, and five statewide competitions for the over 10, 600 athletes, 1, 300 Class A volunteers and 5, 000 day-of-event volunteers on an annual basis. We work so that we may realize founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver's vision: to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities everywhere, and, in turn, transform the lives of everyone they touch - building a better, more accepting world for all of us.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES
For people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics is often the only place where they have an opportunity to participate in their communities and develop belief in themselves. For athletes, Special Olympics sports provide a gateway to empowerment, competence, acceptance and joy. The lessons learned in Special Olympics also impact their life skills. Sports training enhances focus and gives participants a structure for learning important lessons about perseverance, endurance and setting goals. Many people are surprised to know, more than half of adult Special Olympics athletes in the United States are employed, versus 10 percent of intellectually disabled persons who do not participate in Special Olympics
Special Olympics Arizona's (SOAZ) goal is to empower the over 180, 000 Arizonans with intellectual disabilities to be healthy, productive, and respected members of society through SOAZ's year-round sports training, competitions and support programs.
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