Mike Van Zee,Special Olympian

Mike Van Zee, Special Olympian

Humble Beginnings No one likes being bullied, and Mike Van Zee was no different from anyone else. He didn't like being teased. He didn't like being laughed at. He didn't like it when kids tried to egg him into a fight. He knew he was small for his age. He also knew he wasn't as smart as some kids. He didn't think he was strong enough to stick up for himself or stand up for his rights.

That was before Mike entered the Special Olympics program. Special Olympics is a worldwide organization founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Mrs. Shriver became a champion of children and adults who had difficulty learning and who were slow in developing. She saw that they were often in special schools or no school at all. That meant they often had no way to become active in sports or school athletics. Many people thought that people with learning challenges would not feel the personal rewards of competition.

Camp Shriver Eunice Shriver didn't agree. She believed that everyone should be given the opportunity to excel. In June 1962, she invited 35 girls and boys with intellectual disabilities to her home in Maryland. She offered them the opportunity to try out a variety of physical activities. She called the event Camp Shriver. It was so successful that it became an annual event. Each year, it became more and more popular. By 1968 there were more than 300 camps just like Camp Shriver where kids participated in different sports.

That year, Mrs. Shriver worked with others to organize the first official Special Olympics. The event took place in Chicago, Illinois. Participants came from 26 U. S. states and from Canada. They competed in floor hockey, aquatics, and athletics. Mrs. Shriver proudly announced that the Special Olympics would be a regular event. Its purpose was to give people with intellectual disabilities “ the chance to play, the chance to compete, and the chance to grow. "

Special Olympics Games Now, more than 2 million children and adults compete in the Special Olympics Games. Special Olympics has both summer and winter games just like the Olympic Games it was named after-all free of charge. Athletes from around the world come together for these events. The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, held in Ireland, drew more than 6, 500 athletes from 150 countries.