Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Hello! My name is Eunice Kennedy Shriver. I was born on July 10th, 1921, in a town called Brookline, Massachusetts. I grew up in a very big, busy, and fun family! I was the fifth of nine children, so our house was always filled with laughter, games, and lots of friendly competition. I especially loved spending time with my older sister, Rosemary. Rosemary had an intellectual disability, which meant she learned things a bit differently than others. I noticed that when we played sports, she was often left on the sidelines. It didn't seem fair to me. Watching her made me realize that many people with disabilities didn't get the same chances to play and have fun. This idea stuck with me and became a very important part of my life's story.

I always wanted to help people, so I went to college at Stanford University to study how societies work. After I graduated in 1943, I got a job as a social worker. I worked for the government, including for the U.S. State Department, helping to solve problems and make life better for people. In 1953, I married a wonderful man named Sargent Shriver, and together we had five amazing children. My family was always very important to me. In the early 1960s, my brother, John F. Kennedy, became the President of the United States. I talked with him a lot about my sister Rosemary and all the other people I knew who had intellectual disabilities. Together, we worked to create new government programs to study their challenges and find new ways to support them and their families. It was an exciting time, and I felt like I was starting to make a real difference.

Even with the new programs, I still felt something was missing. I saw that many children with intellectual disabilities were told they couldn't play sports. People thought they weren't strong enough or skilled enough. I knew that wasn't true! So, in June of 1962, I had an idea. I decided to turn my own backyard in Maryland into a free summer camp. I called it 'Camp Shriver.' I invited dozens of young people with intellectual disabilities to come and play. We swam in the pool, rode ponies, played soccer, and just had a great time together. I saw something amazing happen that summer. With a little encouragement, these kids weren't just playing—they were shining! They were talented athletes who were full of joy and energy. Camp Shriver proved to me that all they needed was a chance to try. It gave me an even bigger, bolder idea.

After the success of Camp Shriver, I thought, 'Why stop with a summer camp? What if we could create a worldwide sports event, like the Olympics, but for people with intellectual disabilities?' I wanted to give them a stage where the whole world could see how talented they were. With help from my family's foundation, I started planning. It was a huge job, but I was determined. On a hot summer day, July 20th, 1968, my dream came true. We held the very first International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago. About 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada marched proudly into the stadium. I stood before them and shared the oath that athletes still say today: 'Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.' It was one of the happiest days of my life.

That first event was just the beginning. The Special Olympics grew bigger than I ever could have imagined, spreading to countries all across the globe and changing millions of lives. I spent the rest of my life working to make the world a more welcoming place for people of all abilities. For my work, I was honored to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. I lived to be 88 years old, and my greatest joy was watching athletes find friendship, confidence, and happiness through sports. People remember me as the founder of the Special Olympics, a movement that proved to the world that every single person deserves a chance to be a champion.