Special Olympics Clark County provides year-round sports training and competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Athletes must be at least eight years of age and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disability, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required special instruction. Special Olympics contributes to the physical, social, and psychological development of the athletes. Through successful experiences in sports, they gain confidence and build a positive self-image which carries over into the classroom, home, job and community. The concept of Special Olympics began in the early 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The first national meet was held at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1968 for 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada. Shortly thereafter, Ohio began a Special Olympics program under the name of the Ohio Athletic Association. Today, there are Special Olympics programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 150 different countries around the world. We are a non-profit, volunteer organization funded through private and corporate donations and fundraising projects.
