Special Olympics North Carolina

Special Olympics North Carolina is one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world with nearly 40,000 registered athletes who train and compete in year-round programs in 20 different sports. These programs are organized by approximately 100 sub-accredited local programs throughout the state, and the involvement of more than 40,000 volunteers makes possible nearly 8,000 sport practices and 400 competition events at local, area, state, regional, and national levels each year. Athletes in North Carolina are never charged a fee of any kind to participate in Special Olympics. Generous support from individuals, businesses, foundations, and civic groups helps fund the training facilities, uniforms, awards, equipment, transportation, and coaches’ education that are important to every athlete’s experiences The mission of Special Olympics is 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. Special Olympics aims to combine high quality sports with a wide audience, and be a driving force for social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.