More Than Sports
Athlete Leaders
The goal of Athlete Leadership is to empower athletes to develop leadership skills and utilize their voices and abilities to assume meaningful leadership roles, influence change within the Special Olympics movement, and create inclusive communities around the world.
Commit to Fit
Commit to Fit: Be Active in a New Era is an overarching campaign for the four fitness and training opportunities that SOPA athletes can participate in: A SONA Move Challenge, Fitness Heptathlon, and Athlete Performance.
Health
Special Olympics is the world’s largest public health organization for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), providing access to free health services for a population with significant, unmet health needs. Many of our athletes come to us with neglected health problems. Our goal is to provide them with health education and wellness resources.
Young Athletes
Young Athletes™ is a unique sport and play program for children with intellectual disabilities. The focus is on fun activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Children ages 2 to 7 enjoy games and activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Young Athletes is an early introduction to sports and to the world of Special Olympics.
Creating Social Inclusion in Schools
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools engages schools to create climates of inclusion, acceptance, respect, and human dignity for all students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Special Olympics College
Special Olympics College Clubs function as an official clubs on campus and connect college students and individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport to build friendships and help lead the social justice movement of Special Olympics.
Guardians of the Flame
Known as Guardians of the Flame, law enforcement members and Special Olympics Pennsylvania athletes carry the “Flame of Hope” into Opening Ceremonies of local competitions. They also carry it into Special Olympics State, National, Regional and World Games. The flame symbolizes courage and celebration of diversity uniting communities around the globe.
Torch Run has grown over the years and now includes many fundraising platforms. These platforms include: Polar Plunges, Tip-A-Cops, Beaver Stadium Run and more.