Have you ever dreamed of going to the Olympics? But what about people with intellectual disabilities? For many years, they never had the chance to even dream of competing in an Olympic-style competition. With a history that has touched the hearts of many, the Special Olympics is an international organization that continues to thrive in helping people with intellectual disabilities understand and perform basic daily tasks, realize their full potential, and be simply accepted in the world. like any other human being. The idea came from a courageous young woman named Eunice Kennedy Shriver, born July 10, 1921 in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. She came from one of the most famous families of her time, her brother being President John F. Kennedy. Of the nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, Eunice was the fifth born and one of her sisters, Rosemary, the third. Rosemary was born with an intellectual disability and had many learning and developmental challenges throughout her life. When Eunice saw how unfairly people like her sister were being treated, she knew she had to do something. By 1957, Eunice had already taken over the family charity, the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, which is dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities and still helps many today. Well…I shouldn’t say the Special Olympics was the first chance. Camp Shriver, the origin of the Special Olympics, was actually the first opportunity for people with developmental disabilities to exercise, make friends, get some fresh air and have fun. The main goal was to bring together people with and without intellectual disabilities. Camp Shriver was a full day camp open middle of paper......with them games. Serving more than 4.2 million people in more than 170 countries today, the Special Olympics continues to strive to find talent in everyone, regardless of ability level or appearance. The Special Olympics has truly helped many people achieve success in their lives. Eunice Kennedy Shriver will be remembered in history for changing the way the world viewed people with disabilities and for opening her heart when no one else did. Works Cited Brown, Fern G. Special Olympics. New York: F. Watts, 1992. Dinn, Sheila. Hearts of Gold: A celebration of the Special Olympics and its heroes. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch, 1996. Kennedy, Mike. Special Olympics. New York: Children, 2002. “Special Olympics: Home Page.” » Special Olympics: home page. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, nd Web. February 3. 2014. .