Recognizing the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Special Olympics

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an organization near and dear to my heart, Special Olympics.

In April, I attended the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run in State College, Centre County. The 5K run/walk raises money for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Special Olympics organization.

I fueled up at a pre-race breakfast and kicked off the opening ceremonies before cheering on the participants and meeting with the Centre County Special Olympics chapter.

Mr. Speaker, Special Olympics is a global organization that unleashes the human spirit and human potential through the transformative power and joy of sport every day around the world.

Through programming in sports, health, education, and community building, they change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics began in 1962 as a day camp in the back yard of Eunice and Sargent Shriver with the first international games taking place in 1968. Today, the movement thrives in more than 172 countries throughout the world.

Pennsylvania formed their own State chapter in May of 1970 when 135 brave athletes participated in a small track and field competition at West Chester University.

Today, our State chapter has nearly 13,000 athletes competing across nine local regions in more than 300 annual competitions in 22 different Olympic-type sports.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.

Mr. Speaker, the Special Olympics program is more than an athletic competition. The program, when offered in schools known as Unified Champion Schools, reduces bullying, teasing, and the use of offensive language to those with intellectual disabilities.

Graduation rates of high schools that implemented USC increased 1.1 percent for students without disabilities and increased 1.4 percent for students living with disabilities.

The work Special Olympics is doing results in an average of four and a half more inclusive experiences for each student who participates.

In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 720 USC partnered schools in more than 50 counties. In fact, at St. Mary's Area High School in Elk County, Pennsylvania, PA-15, the Flying Dutchmen unified sports teams completed an undefeated inaugural season and became the 2023 Interscholastic Unified Bocce PIAA State champs at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The unified program truly changes lives. One of the families participating summed up the program best in saying, ``Unified sports really does unify a school, a community, and most of all, gives families like myself a lot of joy and for a moment to forget about a diagnosis.''

Special Olympics also focuses on the long-term health of their athletes. People with intellectual disabilities lack equitable access to health services and die, on average, 20 years earlier than the general population in the United States.

Special Olympics creates a healthier world for individuals with intellectual disabilities through initiatives that reduce health disparities and instead, works toward equitable access to quality health service for people living with intellectual disabilities.

To date, Special Olympics Health has provided more than 1 million health screenings to Special Olympic athletes to identify unmet health needs, refer them to appropriate care, and allow them to succeed on the field and in their communities.

In fact, from 2011-2012, Special Olympics of Pennsylvania conducted more than 9,000 screenings. For some, these screenings are the first time they have seen a doctor.

The programs build on the success of the PATH program to further improve the health status and increase access to community health resources.

Mr. Speaker, Special Olympics and the Special Olympics Pennsylvania chapter wouldn't be possible without community volunteers.

The PA chapter has more than 30,000 coaches and volunteers assisting athletes during all levels of competition.

This program touches countless people in numerous ways, and its impact reaches far beyond the sphere of sports.

It was a privilege to work with the State College chapter, and I am proud to share the 2023 Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run was the most successful run ever, that day raising more than $448,000 for Special Olympics of Pennsylvania athletes.

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