A Very Special Olympics
By Tom Kertes

Throughout the 1960s Eunice Kennedy Shriver—President Kennedy’s sister and the wife of Sargent Shriver, the creator of the Peace Corps—maintained a day camp for children with special needs on her farm in Maryland. The activities that took place at that camp were the original impetus for the special Olympics, an event that leaves no one who watches it unmoved.

“The idea was to enable children with mental (and some physical) challenges to compete in organized sports just like the rest of us do,” said Neil J. Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Special Olympics New York. “The challenge would obviously be so beneficial and enriching to their lives. Yet don’t think for a single minute that bringing to life this obviously wonderful plan was simple or easy.”

Johnson added, “You have to see the films of the first Games, which were held at Soldier Field in Chicago…They built an outdoor pool for the swimming events and, at every five feet or so, there was a lifeguard panicking big-time, practically ready to jump. In 1969, people actually thought that persons with mental retardation had no buoyancy, that they couldn’t possibly swim a lick. The common fear was that they’d just sink and drown.”

Of course America, and other countries, have come a long way since–and, in many ways, they have the Special Olympics to thank for that. Today, the Games are a global movement, encompassing 170 countries.

“In many developing countries, there was no recognition of mental retardation at all before the Special Olympics came in,” Johnson said. “They would just say ‘we don’t have any people like that.’ And even here in the U.S. it took some time to realize that these games are not only wonderfully important for the competitors – in the way of acquiring self-esteem, the joys and pride of achievement, socialization, etc. – but to their families as well.”

“You know how Moms and Dads take tremendous pride in their kids’ participating in Little League or excelling in other sports?” Johnson asked. “Well, it’s no different for the families of children with mental retardation. Not one bit.”

He added, “It is a very healing, very important thing. It strengthens families.”

Over 33,000 volunteers help make possible the Special Olympics, which now has both Winter and Summer Games, held at regular Olympic intervals. The objective of the Games, which provide year-round training for competitors, is not victory but participation.

Although medals are awarded, the competitions operate on a “divisioning” basis. “Everyone can compete, regardless of ability,” said Johnson. “And the ‘divisioning’ concept assures every participant that they’ll compete against others at the same level.”

The Summer Games offer competitions in 22 sports making them a program almost identical to the regular Olympics. “Some of our athletes have really proven their stuff,” said Johnson. “This last year, two of our young women have actually competed in the Colgate Games (a major track and field competition for ‘regular’ athletes).”

He added, “Then, just last week, we had a golf tournament in Florida and one of our competitors shot a hole-in-one! This would have been a big deal, except a half-hour later another kid shot a hole-in-one. I’m telling you, the PGA Masters Tournament may not have two holes-in-one in one year…But we did. We surely did.”#

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