Special Olympics Colorado

Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformation power and joy of sports, every day around the world.

Using sports as a catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. As a result, people with intellectual disabilities become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Special Olympics is still the largest sports organization in the world serving over 4.2 million people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. And sports are still the core of what we do. But, our athletes inspire us to continue to evolve as an organization as they tell us their stories and share their dreams for the future. Today we use sports as a catalyst to help enhance the growth for all people who participate and compete with Special Olympics.

Build Inclusive Schools

Develop Leaders

Strengthen Communities

Promote Self-Sufficiency

Improve Health and Quality of Life

Because of your support, the organization has made a meaningful difference in the life of every athlete who participates. As a recognized best practice for non-profits in Colorado, we ensure that every dollar is spent wisely.

Building Communities and Developing Leaders is primarily happening at a young age when youth are most impacted by socialization. We know our Special Olympics Unified programs are working because it’s in the numbers:

78% of typically developing youth report that their attitudes toward bullying have changed
75% increase in school involvement among those with intellectual disabilities
84% of all students report the program is life-changing

An average athlete visits 50 different physicians with little, if any, results. If these health issues are untreated as minor illnesses they could become life-threatening and thus creating a health crisis of epidemic proportions. Did you know? Special Olympics is the largest health provider for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the world. We have trained more than 120,000 health professionals in 7 disciplines and have conducted over 1.2 million health screenings globally.

Get Involved

Volunteer
Volunteer opportunities are plentiful from coaching to committees to event management and many other specialized roles.
Coach
Coaching is a great avenue for those who love sports and want to work closely with our athletes.
Donate
We do not charge our athletes or their families to participate and compete throughout the year, therefore financial support helps us ensure that we can continue to provide uniforms, medals, officiating, practice and competition facilities, and invaluable coaching and volunteer training for our rapidly growing base of athletes. Donate Today!
Compete
We offer 22 sports for athletes stating at 8 years old and athletes may compete throughout a lifetime. Many of our 25,000+ athletes compete in 3-4 sports throughout the year. We also offer sports skills development programs for aspiring athletes starting at 2 years old.