When Eunice Kennedy Shriver began a summer camp in her garden forpeople with a learning disability 40 years ago, she could never haveimagined it would grow into one of the world's largest sportingevents.
Ms Kennedy Shriver, a sister of the late John F Kennedy, is along time campaigner for people with a learning disability. Shebecame director of the Kennedy Foundation in 1957 and travelled theUnited States visiting mental institutions and seeking out expertswith progressive views on learning disability.
Her sister, Rosemary's, learning disability was not widely knownabout until Eunice persuaded her family to allow her to speakpublicly about it. She wrote an article about Rosemary in theSaturday Evening Post in 1962 in the hope that it would highlightthe issues facing people with a learning disability and improve theway society dealt with the issue.
The following June, Ms Kennedy Shriver started the day camp ather Maryland home to encourage children and adults to explore theirsporting and physical capabilities. She believed people with alearning disability were far more capable as regards sport andphysical activities than many experts thought.
When her son, Tim, who is now Special Olympics president, visitedDublin last year, he recalled how his mother had welcomed 100children into her backyard camp. 'These kids came from a gloomy,neglected environment,' he recalled. 'The buses pulled in and therewas dancing and swimming and football. These kids would never havehad a chance to learn to play football. Don't you think everyonedeserves a welcome like that?'
In July 1968, the Kennedy Foundation and Chicago Park Districtheld the first International Special Olympics Summer Games inChicago's Soldier Field. Some 1,000 athletes from 26 states andCanada took part in athletics, floor hockey and aquatic events.
Later that year, Special Olympics Inc. was established as thefirst systematic effort to provide training and competition forpeople with a learning disability, based on the Olympic traditionand spirit. By 1970, the number of athletes competing in the gameshad doubled, and all 50 US states were represented, as well asFrance and Puerto Rico. The event moved from Chicago to Los Angelesin 1972 and Michigan in 1975, with the numbers growing all the time.
In February 1977, the first Special Olympics Winter Games wereheld in Colorado. More than 500 athletes took part in skiing andskating events. The following year, Special Olympics Ireland wasestablished and 200 athletes took part in the first national games.By 1979, more than 20 countries, including Ireland, were taking partin the Special Olympics World Games.
In 1985, the first European Special Olympics Games were held inDublin. Some 2,000 athletes from 17 countries took part in thatevent.
The prestige attached to Special Olympics increased in 1988 whenthe International Olympic Committee signed an agreement thatofficially recognised Special Olympics.
In 1995, Ms Kennedy Shriver and her husband Sargent were askedabout the possibility of holding the Special Olympics World SummerGames outside the US.
It was decided that bidding for the games would be made open tocountries around the world. Two years later, Ireland's bid wassubmitted to Special Olympics International. The Games were awardedto Ireland in 1999, after they edged out a strong application fromArgentina.
Last June, a 'test run' for the world games was held when theSpecial Olympics Ireland National Games were held and attended bydelegations from 22 European countries.
Now, 40 years after that first summer camp in the Kennedy Shrivergarden, 7,000 athletes have descended on Ireland for the 2003Special Olympics World Games.
They have arrived with an entourage of about 30,000 coaches,delegates, family and friends. Worldwide, more than one millionathletes in 150 countries are now involved in Special Olympics,competing in 26 sports.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the 2005 SpecialOlympics World Winter Games, which will be held in Nagano, Japan inFebruary and March.
