About Us
Our History
Although Special Olympics Virginia has always been about building a respectful, inclusive society, its earliest purpose lay in improving the quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities through access to sport and recreation.Incorporated as Virginia Special Olympics in 1975, the first office was housed in Norfolk. Later operating out of the Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Charlottesville in the late 70s and the Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg in the early 80s, the office finally settled on Richmond as a permanent location.
Virginia Special Olympics held its first Summer Games at Virginia Tech and later at Lynchburg College, prior to establishing a now 25-year relationship with the University of Richmond in 1985. The current state championship format and annual calendar were adopted in 1987. Following the adoption of its current corporate identity in 1998, Special Olympics Virginia now provides state championships in 16 Olympic-style sports.
The first Summer International Games attended by Virginia athletes was held in 1979 in Brockport, New York, followed by participation in the first Winter International Special Olympics Games in 1985 in Park City, Utah. Since those early days, the now Special Olympics World Games, have been held at summer and winter venues around the globe, including Austria, Canada, Ireland, Japan and China.
Program enhancements such as Global Messengers, Young Athletes™ and Healthy Athletes® provide Special Olympics athletes with opportunities for building self-advocacy skills, greater access to employment and community involvement and improved health services.
Now with nearly 9,500 actively involved athletes, 28 locally based programs, 20,000 volunteers, and hundreds of activities throughout the year, Special Olympics Virginia is poised to provide even more opportunities that lead to an enriched, inclusive life for athletes, family members, volunteers…for everyone.
Join us! Anyone 8 or older who has an intellectual disability can become a Special Olympics athlete. Athletes age 2-7 are eligible to participate in our Young Athletes® program. For more information, visit our athletes page.
