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John F. Kennedy, the President at the time, had a daughter with intellectual disabilities. They tried to help her with a barbaric procedure called a lobotomy but she was only left in worse condition. This shed light on the fact that disabled persons all over the country deserved a right to pursue happiness through sports the same way healthy people would.

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1. Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a sister, Rosemary, with an intellectual disability. They grew up swimming, sailing, skiing, and playing other sports together.
2. Their were limited programs and options for someone like Rosemary. Eunice Kennedy Shriver went on to become an athlete in college. She saw little justice in the way people with intellectual disabilities were treated.
3. She began to see that sports could be a common ground to unite people from all walks of life.
4. She went on to start “Camp Shriver” to open doors to a brighter future for disabled athletes and this turned into the Special Olympics.

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Eunice Kennedy Shriver looks over Soldier Field July 20th, 1968 as the first Special Olympics games go underway.

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For the first time, people with intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning/vocational problems due to cognitive delay had their own playing field and an appreciative audience to cheer them on.

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This is important because it set the stage for the current special Olympics that still take place today. This gives disabled people motivation to move past their disabilities towards a productive future

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The first international Special Olympics was held in July 1968 with 1,000 athletes competing in track and field and swimming.

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Over 200 events were offered, including broad jump, softball throw, 25-yard swim, 100-yard swim, high jump, 50-yard dash, water polo, and floor hockey.

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In 1969, Jack McHugh recruited a board of directors composed of prominent business leaders to raise funds under the banner of Special Children’s Charities. This was the first non-profit organization to support Special Olympics.