The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with an intellectual disability, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Our vision is to build the programmes offered by Special Olympics New Zealand so that every person with a learning disability has the opportunity, in their local community, to participate in high quality sport and development activities that bring life-changing experiences of increased skills, self-confidence and joy.
Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than 3.7 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs.
Visit Special Olympics website.
Special Olympics New Zealand was founded in 1983 in Lower Hutt by Grant Quinn. It is a registered Charitable Trust.
The four founding athletes of Special Olympics New Zealand. Left to right: Peter Spijkerman, Colin Bailey (with goggles), Brent Busy and Gordon Llewellyn.
Special Olympics New Zealand is accredited by Special Olympics. Through an affiliation process, Clubs throughout the country deliver programmes at the community level. Clubs are supported by the national office and a team of Regional Sports Coordinators.
Representatives from the Clubs sit on the organisation's five Regional Councils. The Council Chair (or nominee) represent the Council on the Special Olympics New Zealand Board.