Host city | Chicago, United States |
---|---|
Nations | 2 |
Athletes | 1,000 |
Events | 3 sports |
Opening | July 20 |
Closing | July 20 |
Athlete's Oath | Eunice Shriver |
Torch lighter | "James," a seventeen-year-old young man [1] |
Main venue | Soldier Field |
Summer | |
The 1968 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, United States, on July 20, 1968. Some of the smaller indoor events were held in the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue. The event was co-sponsored by the Chicago Park District and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. [2]
1,000 athletes from 26 U.S. states, and Canada competed in track and swimming. Swimming had two events including 25 meter races, and track and field had four events including 50 yard dash, 300 yard run, and standing long jump. There was also a softball throwing event. [3] [4]
The athlete's oath was introduced at these games by founder Eunice Shriver at the opening ceremony. The oath is, "Let me win. But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt."
Notable athletes volunteered at the games, including Jesse Owens, Rafer Johnson, George Armstrong, and Stan Mikita. [5]
The inception of the concept for the Special Olympics came from Anne McGlone (now Anne Burke), at the time a physical education teacher working for the Chicago Park District. [5] [6] In 1967, while teaching special needs children, she had the idea to host a citywide track meet for such children. [5] She asked Park District Superintendent Erwin "Red" Weiner and Park District Board President William McFetridge for permission to organize it. [5] The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation had provided earlier funding to special needs programs in the Park District, thus McFetridge believed that Eunice Kennedy Shriver might be willing to provide funding for such an event. [5] In early 1968, McGlone wrote to Shriver proposing the event, and within days received an enthusiastic response from Shriver. [5] The event evolved from a track meet into an Olympics-style event for special needs children. [5]
To assist in organizing the event, they received help from Dr. William H. Freeberg of Southern Illinois University, who was an expert in recreation for children with disabilities. [5] They also received the assistance of Parks Board vice president Dan Shannon and McFetridge's assistant Ed Kelly. [5] The event began to take a national, then later even an international, scale as planning advanced. [5]
The Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from County Wexford, Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy became the first Kennedy elected to public office, serving in the Massachusetts state legislature until 1895. At least one Kennedy family member served in federal elective office from 1947, when P. J. Kennedy's grandson John F. Kennedy became a member of Congress from Massachusetts, until 2011, when Patrick J. Kennedy II retired as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island.
Parasports are sports played by people with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Some parasports are forms of adapted physical activities from existing able-bodied sports, while others have been specifically created for persons with a disability and do not have an able-bodied equivalent. Disability exists in four categories: physical, mental, permanent and temporary. At a competitive level, disability sport classifications are applied to allow people of varying abilities to face similar opposition.
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Olympics competitions are held daily, all around the world—including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than 100,000 events a year. Like the International Paralympic Committee, the Special Olympics organization is recognized by the International Olympic Committee; however, unlike the Paralympic Games, Special Olympics World Games are not held in the same year nor in conjunction with the Olympic Games.
Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver was an American philanthropist and a member of the Kennedy family. She was the founder of the Special Olympics, a sports organization for persons with intellectual disabilities. For her efforts on behalf of disabled people, Shriver was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984.
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956.
Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. was an American diplomat, politician, and activist. As the husband of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he was part of the Kennedy family. Shriver was the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps, and founded the Job Corps, Head Start, VISTA, Upward Bound, and other programs as the architect of the 1960s War on Poverty. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in the 1972 presidential election.
Timothy Perry Shriver is an American disability rights activist, film producer, and former educator who has been Chairman of Special Olympics since 1996 and is the founder of UNITE. He is a member of the Kennedy family as the third child of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and Sargent Shriver, who helped found the Peace Corps.
Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver is an American activist for people with intellectual disabilities. In 1989, he founded Best Buddies International, an international organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities to find employment and social opportunities. Through his mother, he is a nephew of World War II casualty Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Rafer Lewis Johnson was an American decathlete and film actor. He was the 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, having won silver in 1956. He had previously won a gold in the 1955 Pan American Games. He was the USA team's flag bearer at the 1960 Olympics and lit the Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
The Special Olympics World Games also known as Special Olympiad are an international sporting event for participants with intellectual disabilities, organized by the IOC-recognised Special Olympics organization.
Anne Marie Burke is an American jurist who served on the Illinois Supreme Court from 2006 until 2022. She served a term as the chief justice from 2019 until 2022. Burke had previously been appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in 1995 and was elected to that seat in 1996. Burke was a founder of the Special Olympics in 1968. She is married to Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke from the 14th Ward.
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium is a stadium in Brockport, New York. Located on the campus of State University of New York College at Brockport it is primarily used by the Brockport Golden Eagles. The stadium holds 11,000 people and was built in 1979. It was originally built for the 1979 Special Olympics World Summer Games that were held in Brockport. Brockport's American football, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, lacrosse and outdoor track and field teams host their home games at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium. The Rochester River Dogz FC soccer club played here in 2016.
Special Olympics Canada is a national organization founded in 1969 to help people with intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence and social skills through sports training and competition.
The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in Shanghai, China.
Loretta Claiborne is an American global speaker and multi-sport athlete who competes in the Special Olympics. She has been honored with the 1996 Arthur Ashe ESPY Courage Award presented to her by Denzel Washington. Claiborne was the first Special Olympics athlete elected to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.
Solomon Wellings “Sol” Butler was a multi-talented athlete who competed in American football and track and field. He finished seventh in the long jump competition at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He also played in the National Football League for the Hammond Pros, Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Buffalo Bisons, and Rock Island Independents. Referenced sometimes as Edward Solomon Butler, was a name used by alternate people to gain notoriety off the exploits of Solomon W. Butler in various parts of the country.
Special Olympics Pakistan is an official recognized program of Special Olympics International which operates in Pakistan as not-for-profit organization and works with intellectually disabled individuals and help them through participation in sports.
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The 1923 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships saw men's competitions held at Stagg Field in Chicago, Illinois and women's competitions held at Weequahic Park in Newark.
1970 Special Olympics was the second edition of the Special Olympics World Games held in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, the United States, from August 13 to August 15 in 1970. This event was co-sponsored by the Chicago Park District and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. Two thousand and five hundred children from 47 states in the United States, Canada, and France participated. One hundred and ninety events of swimming and track and field were contested.