Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Special Olympic Games
The Special Olympic Games are an equivalent to the Olympic Games for athletes with mental disabilities .
The Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the 1960s. It started as a series of sports camps, beginning in June 1962 , before evolving into the International Special Olympic Games in 1968. The camps were known as Camp Shriver .
The Special Olympics Oath is "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
The International Winter and Summer Games are held every 2 years.
In 1988 Special Olympics was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is the only sports organisation authorised by the IOC to use the word ‘Olympics’ in its title
Camps Shriver
Summer Games
- 1968 Summer Special Olympics, July 1968, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- 1970 Summer Special Olympics , August 1970, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- 1972 Summer Special Olympics , August 1972, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- 1975 Summer Special Olympics , August 1975, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA
- 1979 Summer Special Olympics , August 1979, State University of New York, Brockport, New York, USA
- 1983 Summer Special Olympics , July 1983, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
- 1987 Summer Special Olympics , July-August 1987, Saint Mary’s College , South Bend, Indiana, USA
- 1991 Summer Special Olympics , July 1991, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- 1995 Summer Special Olympics , July 1995, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- 1999 Summer Special Olympics , June-July 1999, The Triangle, North Carolina, USA
- 2003 Summer Special Olympics, June 2003, Dublin, Ireland
- 2007 Summer Special Olympics , October 2007, Shanghai, China