About our organisation...

What is Special Olympics

The Special Olympics movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who believed that the Olympic ideals of sport could give confidence and new hope to people with learning disabilities as well as to those who cared for them. Special Olympics now reaches over 2.25 million athletes in 160 countries worldwide.

Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) is the major provider of sporting opportunities for people with learning disability and provides equality of opportunity for all our athletes regardless of ability or degree of disability.

Through the Special Olympics movement Scottish coaches, volunteers, families and athletes with a learning disability have travelled to GB, European Games and World Games. Summer and winter sports , demonstration and official sports are included within the games programme. Special Olympics seeks to provide the highest possible quality of coaching and competition for its athletes. Athletes are able to choose which sports they would like to participate in from a range of more than 20 Summer and Winter Sports.