Special Olympics

Special Olympics: "a winner's mentality"

Special Olympics is a movement offering mentally handicapped people the chance to train and take part in sports activities. Special Olympics puts sport within the reach of mentally handicapped people, so that they can flourish physically and psychologically and improve their integration in society. Set up at the end of the 1960s by Mrs. Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, these sports events have focused on a major social issue: they stimulate participants to develop other skills, both social and behavioural, for application in day-to-day life. Beyond the actual performance, the prime ideals of the Special Olympics are pushing one's limits, self development and perseverance. Today, the Special Olympics movement is represented in 160 countries. It organises national games, but also European and worldwide competitions. In Belgium, Special Olympics Belgium organises the National Special Olympics, held alternately in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, over the Ascension weekend: the event every year brings together 2,700 athletes and 1,000 voluntary workers. In addition, it organises multiple other sports activities and training sessions for persons with a mental handicap. Its motto: "a winner's mentality"! Alongside the Paralympics, the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund supports the Special Olympics in order to permanently improve the support provided to the participating athletes. >> links: www.specialolympics.be Facts September 2007 In 2008, in support of this commendable initiative which is focused on pushing one's limits, the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund decided to award a grant of €80,000 to Special Olympics Belgium. It will continue this encouragement over the next five years with annual grants of €50,000. >> read more: Press release of September 2007 Press release of Mars 2009