The Special Olympics and Paralympic Games are two different organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The main difference between the two organizations is the type of disability and level of athletic ability of the participants.

Special Olympics is the world's largest organization providing year-round sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities (age 8+), with more than 2.25 million athletes in more than 150 countries participating in local, state, national and

Training and competition in 30 Olympic-style sports held worldwide.

Through mass sports, the Special Olympics can benefit participants' long-term health and gain self-respect and social recognition.

The International Paralympic Committee is an international organization that brings together sports elites with disabilities (physical disabilities).

The organization arranges, supervises and coordinates the most important world and regional Paralympic Games and other different Para Games (including 25 sports) with the participation of sports elites. It is a non-profit organization composed of 160 national disability organizations.

It is composed of the National Olympic Committee and five international sports associations for persons with disabilities.

Ability Standards and Athletic Competition Special Olympics allows athletes of all ability levels within the intellectual disability range to participate. To ensure fair competition principles, Special Olympics athletes will be divided into different "groups" according to age and ability, and each group will provide all athletes with the same benefits.

A fair chance to compete.

This principle will give each athlete a meaningful and enjoyable experience while also stimulating their potential to be their best.

Athletes competing in the Paralympic Games come from 6 different disability groups, with only the most able competing.

As a formal sports competition, athletes who do not meet the competition standards cannot participate in the competition, and some athletes who meet the standards may also be eliminated in the preliminaries.

The idea of ??sports is to select the "best" athletes or teams.

=================================== Special Olympics serves more than 1 million children and adults with mental disabilities

An international organization for annual sports training and sports competitions.

The purpose of the Special Olympics is: Let's win.

But if I cannot win, let me be brave in participating.

Our leaders are: Younes Kennedy Schrevo, Founder Emeritus, Sargent Schrevo, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Tonemy P. Schrevo, Ph.D., President and CEO.

Our mission is to continually give them opportunities to develop their fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and engage with their families.

Other Special Olympics athletes and communities share honors, skills and friendships.

Through these we provide annual sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for mentally handicapped children and adults.

Our purpose is to provide all persons with mental disabilities with the benefits of Special Olympics participation, including improved fitness and athletic ability, increased self-confidence and positive self-soothing, enhanced friendships, and improved family support.

Special Olympics athletes put these benefits into practice in their daily lives, in their studies, at work, and in the surrounding society.

When family members learn to appreciate their athletic talents, whoever participates becomes stronger.

Volunteers in the community discovered that these athletes were also very good friends, and everyone knew that these mentally handicapped people had many talents.

The overall spirit of conveying skills, courage, interests and joy of the Special Olympics has no boundaries of geography, ethnicity, politics, gender, age, race and belief.

The Origin and Development of Special Olympics In June 1963, in Maryland, USA, the founder of Special Olympics, Ms. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, held a summer camp for the mentally retarded and carried out sports and entertainment activities.

In July 1968, the first International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago, USA.

In December 1968, Special Olympics International (SOI) was established.

In February 1988, the International Special Olympics was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The development of the Special Olympics movement has received support and attention from governments and people around the world. By 2003, there were more than 150 countries and regions participating in the International Special Olympics. The number of people with intellectual disabilities participating in the Special Olympics movement has grown from the initial 100 to

More than 1.2 million people have successfully hosted 11 summer and 7 winter Special Olympics World Games.

The founder of the Special Olympics Movement - Ms. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, as the executive vice president of the Kennedy Foundation and the founder of the Special Olympics Movement, has been committed to strengthening and improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities for thirty years, making him (

They) participate in social life.

She was the fifth child of the Kennedys' nine children. She was born in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, and graduated from Stanford University in California with a degree in social sciences.

After graduation, she worked for the U.S. government in various capacities in various areas of social work.

In 1957, he took over the Kennedy Foundation and pursued civil rights for intellectually disabled people.