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ABOUT USSpecial Olympics New Zealand offers a year round programme of sports training and competition for young people and adults with an intellectual disability. Athletes can be as young as five and there is no upper age limit. Special Olympics New Zealand is a registered Charitable Trust established in 1983. There are over 5,000 athletes training and competing supported by over 2,500 volunteers (Coaches and Supporters) throughout the country. Special Olympics New Zealand is accredited to Special Olympics International (SOI), who have their headquarters in Washington D.C., USA and is the official world governing body for Special Olympics programmes in over 180 countries. HOW IT ALL BEGAN Special Olympics began in 1968 with the First International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Since then, millions have benefited from the movement Vision: The Special Olympics movement will transform communities by inspiring people throughout the world to open their Mission: To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.. Principles: Athlete centered, locally delivered, weekly participation, by volunteers, and supporters. BENEFITS OF SPECIAL OLYMPICSIndividuals who compete in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills and greater self
confidence. They exhibit courage and enthusiasm and build lasting friendships. These life skills enhance their ability
to live normal productive lives. More than ever, Special Olympics athletes hold jobs, own homes, go to school and successfully confront life
challenges on a daily basis. Through millions of individual acts of inclusion where people with and without intellectual disabilities are brought
together through Special Olympics programmes, longstanding myths are dispelled, negative attitudes changed, and new
opportunities to embrace and celebrate the giftedness of people with intellectual disabilities are created. The Special Olympics movement can ultimately transform communities by inspiring people throughout the world to open their minds, accept and include people with intellectual disabilities and thereby celebrate the similarities common to all people. BOARD OF TRUSTEESThe Board of Trustees comprises individuals representing a wide cross-section of key stakeholder groups - Athletes, Family Members, Chairs of the five Regional Councils, medical expertise in intellectual disabilities, sports expertise and expertise in planning, business, legal, financial and communications:
David Rutherford was elected Chair, and Robin Sheffield Deputy Chair, at the 2009 AGM. DID YOU KNOW ... At the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games there were 109 performances that would have bettered performances at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing! And in 47 of the 109 cases, the Special Olympics athlete came from a country that had no competitors in that event in Beijing. This means that those Special Olympics athletes could have been named to their National Olympic Teams and they would have been able to represent their country at least as well as some non-disabled athletes. You may recall that after the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games 39 Special Olympics athletes had turned in performances that bettered times at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
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Copyright Special Olympics New Zealand 2007 "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
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