Special Olympics

From 17 – 25 June 2023, Berlin, Germany will welcome 7,000 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners from approximately 190 countries to compete in 26 sports.

The athletes will be supported by more than 3,000 coaches and 20,000 volunteers.

Special Olympics was founded in 1968 to help create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people.

Its mission remains as vital today as it did in 1968.

To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual 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, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

People with intellectual disabilities have an opportunity to discover new strengths and abilities, skills and success through sport.

You can keep up to date with your favourite athlete here.

With over 27 events to follow, it’s sure to be another fantastic year for Special Olympics. We’ll be keeping an eye out for competing athletes representing Team Special Olympics GB in athletics, basketball, bocce, cycling, equestrian, unified football, golf, artistic & rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis and tennis.

The athletes will be supported by 28 coaches and a further 22 support and medical staff.

The Special Olympics World Games are the largest inclusive sports events in the world and Berlin 2023, which follows on from Abu Dhabi 2019, is aiming is to help achieve greater recognition and social participation of people with intellectual disabilities.