Special Olympics British Columbia is marking 45 years of enriching the lives of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities and breaking down barriers and misconceptions by putting their abilities in the spotlight through the power and joy of sport.

In the early 1950s and 1960s, leaders like Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Canada’s Dr. Frank Hayden began to build sport opportunities to address how unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated and excluded, growing into the Special Olympics movement.

November 1980 marked the official beginning of Special Olympics in our province. At the outset, Special Olympics BC offered two weekends of games with a few hundred participants.

Today, Special Olympics BC’s year-round programs instill confidence, improve health, and build inclusion in 55 communities across our province. The Special Olympics BC community includes more than 3,400 athletes with intellectual disabilities of all ages and a wide range of ability levels, participating in quality year-round sport programs in 18 different summer and winter sports as well as youth programs and Inclusive Health programming.

These game-changing opportunities are made possible thanks to the dedicated efforts of more than 2,300 volunteers and family members across the province, and the generous support of sponsors and donors who care about Special Olympics athletes and strengthening inclusion.

Athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be part of Special Olympics BC’s programs and community throughout their whole lives. Today, Special Olympics BC’s youngest athletes are 2 years old, and the eldest is 87.

“Special Olympics has drastically changed my life for the better. I can be who I am and I don’t have to hide anymore. Before I joined Special Olympics, it was really hard to fit in and I was really shy. I didn’t have a sense of belonging in the world and I didn’t know what my purpose was. Special Olympics has helped me overcome barriers and bullying, and has helped me not to give up and go for my best,” said Susan Wang, Special Olympics BC – Surrey athlete.

“Not only does Special Olympics help athletes with intellectual disabilities succeed in sport, it helps in life. I have become more confident, have a sense of belonging, and made friends. Athletes can be role models, develop confidence, and make a difference in our communities.”

Today, Wang is an international athlete leader as a Special Olympics Sargent Shriver Global Messenger from 2024 to 2027.

Learn more about Special Olympics BC history

Upcoming Events

Special Olympics BC athletes and champions of inclusion are active throughout the province this winter. Key storytelling opportunities include:

• The return of the Tim Hortons Special Olympics Donut January 30 to February 1, an iconic limited-edition treat raising funds to empower Special Olympics athletes across Canada
• The Special Olympics Team BC Training Squad coming together for training camps in the Lower Mainland January 23 to 25 and January 30 to February 1, hard at work on the road to the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat in August
• Champions of inclusion getting chilly to change lives with the Polar Plunge^® for Special Olympics BC from February 21 to March 8
• 2026 SOBC Winter Regional Qualifiers taking place across the province January through April, where athletes will compete for the opportunity to advance to the 2027 Special Olympics BC Winter Games

In addition, registration is always open for Special Olympics BC’s year-round sport, youth, and health programs for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 55 communities across the province.

Special Olympics BC

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