|
Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA)
In 1968, a dream came true for 250 people with intellectual disabilities. The dream
of being able to participate in sports despite their "disabilities". Those
250 extraordinary athletes were truly pioneers. Special Olympics became a
reality on the fields of Soldier Field in Chicago that summer day in 1968.
A great deal has happened and even more dreams have come true since those
early days of Special Olympics. Special Olympics Virginia has grown from
a few hundred participants to over 18,000, from a one-day track and field
meet to a year round Chapter wide sports training and competition program
in 19 sports during 2005. Special Olympics Virginia
athletes have competed in nine World Summer Games and seven World Winter Games.
Today Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) serves over 8,000 athletes through a
network of volunteers of almost 20,000. SOVA is in the midst
of an aggressive athlete outreach campaign aimed at reaching more of the
nearly 60,000 potential athletes in the Commonwealth.
|
While increasing the number of individuals served by SOVA, we will also be
increasing the quality of all aspects of our program. We will need to expand
training programs and increase the number of training schools being offered;
to identify and train more volunteer coaches and offer more and varied levels
of competitions; and to broaden the scope of our volunteer support network.
Special Olympics needs your support to bring Olympic quality year-round
sports training and competition to all of the potential athletes in the
Commonwealth.
|
"For great world athletes like those who enter the normal Olympic Games, the
contest may only last minutes, then it is over and these men and women have
won or lost. But for Special Olympians, the contest can last a lifetime -
the challenge begins again each day. What you are winning by your courageous
efforts is far greater than any game. You are winning life itself and, in
doing so, you give others a most precious prize - faith in the unlimited
possibilities of the human spirit."
|
