Eunice Kennedy Shriver

What a woman What a benefactor!!!! One Woman's Vision Trailblazer. What began as one woman's vision evolved into Special Olympics. Learn More Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed in justice. But, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she saw little justice in the way people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She saw they were excluded and routinely placed in custodial institutions. They were often ignored and neglected, yet she knew they had many talents and gifts to offer. Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a sister, Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability. She and Rosemary grew up playing sports together and with their family. The sisters swam, they sailed, they skiied, they played football together. But in those days, there were limited programs and options for someone like Rosemary. Eunice Kennedy Shriver went on to become an athlete in college. She began to see that sports could be a common ground to unite people from all walks of life. The World Winter Games Return to Austria Special Olympics has many thousands of competitions around the world every year. Our athletes train in 30-plus sports in 169 countries. Every two years, there's a World Games competition that shows off the best our movement has to offer. For many of our athletes, attending a World Games is the dream of a lifetime. For almost 2,700 Special Olympics athletes, that dream is coming true at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria. The athletes have trained in their 107 home countries. Coaches have guided their practices. Family and friends have cheered for them. This month, they traveled to the mountains of Austria. About 1,000 coaches came with them. Our athletes are skiing, skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing, shooting balls and shooting pucks to see who will win the gold--and who will not. These World Games mark a return: In 1993, Austria hosted the very first Special Olympics World Winter Games held outside the U.S. (Learn more about how the first World Games in Austria happened.) A lot has changed since those 1993 Games. This time, an even larger worldwide audience is getting the chance to see many moments from the Games. ESPN is broadcasting stories and events during the 2017 Games in Austria. Austria 2017 Schedule and Results See Games Coverage Near You Austria 2017 stories and coverage at ESPN.com See Games photos on Flickr Austria 2017 Press Kit Get our Austria 2017 newsletter Visit the Austria 2017 Website