The have been running in Berlin since June 17, 2023 Special Olympics. Around 7,000 athletes with mental and multiple disabilities compete in 26 sports at these games. On Saturday evening, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier opened the games in the Berlin Olympic Stadium in front of 50,000 spectators. They are the largest multisport event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and are being held in Germany for the first time. The host is at the start with 413 German athletes.
The movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, a sister of former US President John F. Kennedy. The reason was the disability of her sister Rosemary. The Special Olympics have since developed into a permanent institution. As with the regular Olympic Games and the Paralympics (for the physically challenged), there are Summer and Winter Games.
The aim of the games is to make disabled people more visible, to give them more recognition and to promote people’s self-representation. Beyond sport, Special Olympics serves an important purpose by supporting the mentally challenged with global health, education and skills programs.
Source: Stern
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