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Special Olympics

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Submitted By eburton720
Words 1238
Pages 5
Eric de Winter
Ms. Hutton
English 10R
17 February 2012
Someone Special
Dear Mr. Feller, Imagine if your son was the captain of his travel soccer team. And at eight years of age you receive a letter from his doctor saying that they can’t do anything about his tumor and he has to get his leg amputated. Your son would no longer be able to play sports, he would be absolutely devastated. Every year hundreds of thousands of kids are born with some kind of disability. In the early 1960s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, “saw how unjustly and unfairly people with disabilities were treated. She also saw that many children with special needs didn’t even have a place to play” (specialolympics.org). Soon, her vision became a reality. Eunice held a summer day camp for young people with intellectual disabilities in her own backyard. Her goal was to “learn what these children could do in sports and other activities and not dwell on what they could not do” (specialolympics.org). Her vision eventually turned into the global Special Olympics movement.
The Special Olympics’ Athlete oath, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt” (specialolympics.org). During the early 1960s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver noticed how unjustly people with disabilities were treated. These poor people were unable to participate in team sports let alone be able to contribute in individual sports all because they were born with a disability. However, thanks to the generosity of one by stander, she changed many lives forever. Eunice began a camp in her own backyard and eventually turned into a worldwide organization. The Special Olympics have been around since mid-1968. It is absolutely mind boggling how one person touched the hearts of thousands of disabled children and adults by giving them the opportunity to participate in more than thirty six types of sports. It all goes to show that if you stand up for something you believe in, you can make a difference. The mission still remains just as relevant today as it did in 1968. The mission of the Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people of all ages with disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, and other Special Olympics athletes and the community (specialolympics.org). There are about 200 million people with disabilities around the world. The goal is to reach out to every one of them and their families.
On behalf of athlete Heather Erickson, age thirty five from Milltown, WI, winning and being brave, began at eleven years of age when she became involved with the Special Olympics. Deanna Erickson, her mother, said, "I don't think we slept the first time she went to an overnight competition" (proquest.com). Happiness soon replaced hesitation, as her parents witnessed her enthusiasm when she returned from her first competition, ribbons and medals in hand. Heather's determination while learning to snowshoe is a perfect example of her dedication to Special Olympics. Out into the snow they trekked, day after day, Heather's parents would spray colored water onto the snow, teaching her where to place her feet, how to step up a hill, and how to walk skillfully on snowshoes (proquest.com). It's the small things in life which have given Heather wings to succeed, and Special Olympics is a safe and fun environment where athletes can take those kinds of steps, allowing them to spread their wings and soar. Her family thanks the Special Olympics for transforming Heather into a positive, smiling individual, a result of almost a quarter century of training and competing (proquest.com). Involvement in the Special Olympics has impacted the Erickson family so much, they constantly look for ways to share their knowledge about the organization with others. "The Special Olympics helps you have a better relationship with your special needs child, when you and your family become active." Deanna Erickson explained (proquest.com). "Just having a sister with a disability made Rex and I very compassionate people." Amanda Hammond, Heather's sister, said regarding herself and her brother (proquest.com). Rex also added, "It's been such a positive thing for Heather. Special Olympics showed what true love and true friendship is... the unconditional love. In a world where everything is how good you are... this isn't anything like that" (proquest.com). “Special Olympics has been a great opportunity to spend time with Heather, and a wonderful experience, Barry Erickson, Heather's father, said, "It made me a better parent" (proquest.com). The Special Olympics has enabled Heather to accomplish more than she'd ever imagined, soaring to new heights on those wings given to her nearly twenty five years ago when the opportunity to partake in the Special Olympics arose. Just like Heather, sixteen year old Jessica from the novel The Running Dream stays strong even though struggling with a disability. In the novel Jessica states, “So I am getting used to it, and I am gaining confidence, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever race again. It almost doesn’t matter, though. I can run” (Van Draanen 279).
For the past forty four years the Special Olympic has allowed kids and adults with special disabilities to compete with one another. What started off as a camp in Eunice’s backyard, spread into 220 worldwide offices (specialolympics.org). The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization in the world: with nearly 4 million athletes in more than 170 countries and millions more volunteers and supporters. The Special Olympics do a wide range of trainings, competitions, health screenings and fund-raising events. They also create opportunities for families, community members, local leaders, businesses, law enforcement, celebrities and others to band together to change attitudes and support athletes. The Special Olympics creates communities of support everywhere it goes. They hold 50,000 competitions a year, there are about 136 each day. The games and competitions bring together athletes, coaches, volunteers, supporters and leaders of each community (specialolympics.org).
I can’t stress enough how much these children and adults need your help. Just because they were born with disabilities, they were unable to compete let alone play sports with other “normal” people. It is not right for a person with a disability to be treated as unfairly as they were back in the 1960’s. To make sure that these acts of inhumanity never face the disabled again you can show your support by making a small donation. Even a donation of a piece of sports equipment could give opportunity to those who wouldn’t have had it. Also, you yourself can spend time volunteering as a coach or an official to help those with disabilities. However, it is your money and you’re entitled to do as you please with it, but keep in mind that any donation big or small will impact the lives of hundred maybe even thousands throughout the world. More importantly it would give hope to those who need it the most.

Sincerely,

Eric de Winter

Works Cited

Special Olympics. Special Olympics, 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
Van Draanen, Wendelin. The Running Game. Knopf, 2011. Print.
Anonymous. “Special Olympics Impacts Family And Gives Athlete Wings To Soar.” ProQuest
Research Library, 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2012

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