>> Anne McGlone Burke, a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District, began with the idea for a one-time Olympic-style athleticu00a0competition for people with special needs. Burke then approached Eunice Kennedy Shriver, head of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, to fund
the event.

>> The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1968.

>> The first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA.

>> In 1988, the Special Olympics was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

>> It has over 32 Olympic-type individual and team sports that provide meaningful year-round training and competition opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities in more than 170 countries.u00a0