Special Olympics Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Special Olympics
Great Britain (originally known as Special Olympics UK) was founded in 1978 by Chris Maloney MBE
. It was one of the first European programmes of the International Special Olympics Movement.
Special Olympics GB creates opportunities for children and adults with learning disabilities' to take part in various sports training and competition year-round. The Special Olympics is often confused with the Paralympics, which is for athletes with physical disability. To be eligible to take part in the Special Olympics GB programmes, participants would have to have an IQ of 75 and below. Up to date Special Olympics GB is helping around 8,000 children and adults with learning disability through sport acti vities, along with over 2,800 volunteers across Britain.
Special Olympics GB has a charitable status and has been receiving donations and funding from individuals as well as corporate partners. National Grid
, Coca Cola GB, Domino's Pizza
and Lions Clubs International
are some of the long-term official partners of Special Olympics GB.
Ambassadors of Special Olympics GB includes former Southampton football manager Lawrie McMenemy
, Olympic Champion athlete Darren Campbell
, former NBA basketball legend John Amaechi
and football legend Ossie Ardiles
. Among its strong supporters is World Champion English gymnast Beth Tweddle
, who joined the Prime Minister David Cameron
at 10 Downing Street for a send-off of Special Olympics GB team to the World Summer Games 2011 in Athens. Tweddle has also given some coaching to Special Olympics gymnastics athlete Omar Haddad before he set off to Greece.
At the 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, the GB team of 151 athletes and 53 coaches won a total of 187 medals (78 Gold, 63 Silver, 52 Bronze). The athletes competed in 17 sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Cycling, Equestrian, Football (including Unified Football), Golf, Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics, Judo, Kayaking, Powerlifting, Sailing, Table Tennis and Tennis.
Special Olympics GB's National Games take place in Britain every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. They are part of Special Olympics
International.
The seventh games took place in 2005 in Glasgow
, from 2 July to 9 July. Over 2500 athletes from across Great Britain
competed in 23 sports. The Games Village was at the Scotstoun
Leisure Centre. Information on the summer games in 2009 can be found at Special Olympics Leicester
.
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
Great Britain (originally known as Special Olympics UK) was founded in 1978 by Chris Maloney MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
. It was one of the first European programmes of the International Special Olympics Movement.
Special Olympics GB creates opportunities for children and adults with learning disabilities' to take part in various sports training and competition year-round. The Special Olympics is often confused with the Paralympics, which is for athletes with physical disability. To be eligible to take part in the Special Olympics GB programmes, participants would have to have an IQ of 75 and below. Up to date Special Olympics GB is helping around 8,000 children and adults with learning disability through sport acti vities, along with over 2,800 volunteers across Britain.
Special Olympics GB has a charitable status and has been receiving donations and funding from individuals as well as corporate partners. National Grid
National Grid
-Electric power transmission systems:*National Grid , the electricity transmission network of Great Britain.*National Grid , the electricity transmission network of Malaysia....
, Coca Cola GB, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
and Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
are some of the long-term official partners of Special Olympics GB.
Ambassadors of Special Olympics GB includes former Southampton football manager Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
, Olympic Champion athlete Darren Campbell
Darren Campbell
Darren Andrew Campbell MBE is a former English sprint athlete. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay...
, former NBA basketball legend John Amaechi
John Amaechi
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE is a retired American-born British basketball player who currently works as a psychologist, educator and political activist in Europe and the United States....
and football legend Ossie Ardiles
Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo César Ardiles , often referred to in Britain as Ossie Ardiles, is a football coach, pundit and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentine national team...
. Among its strong supporters is World Champion English gymnast Beth Tweddle
Beth Tweddle
Elizabeth "Beth" Kimberly Tweddle MBE is an English gymnast. Tweddle is a three time world champion having won the 2010 World Championships and 2006 World Championshipson the uneven bars and the 2009 World Championships on the floor...
, who joined the Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
at 10 Downing Street for a send-off of Special Olympics GB team to the World Summer Games 2011 in Athens. Tweddle has also given some coaching to Special Olympics gymnastics athlete Omar Haddad before he set off to Greece.
At the 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, the GB team of 151 athletes and 53 coaches won a total of 187 medals (78 Gold, 63 Silver, 52 Bronze). The athletes competed in 17 sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Cycling, Equestrian, Football (including Unified Football), Golf, Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics, Judo, Kayaking, Powerlifting, Sailing, Table Tennis and Tennis.
Special Olympics GB's National Games take place in Britain every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. They are part of Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
International.
The seventh games took place in 2005 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, from 2 July to 9 July. Over 2500 athletes from across Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
competed in 23 sports. The Games Village was at the Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...
Leisure Centre. Information on the summer games in 2009 can be found at Special Olympics Leicester
Special Olympics Leicester
The 8th Special Olympics GB National Summer Games will be held in Leicester between the 25 and 31 July 2009. Over 2,700 athletes representing 18 Special Olympics regions across the UK will visit the city of Leicester over the seven day period along with 1,200 coaches and 1,500 volunteers.The 2,700...
.