June 11, 1969 - Special Olympics

Human Rights a Day

Canada holds first Special Olympics to inspire fitness and competition amongst mentally disabled. Research in the early 1960s showed that mentally disabled children were only half as fit as non-disabled children. Dr. Frank Hayden of London, Ontario challenged the idea that this stemmed from their mental disability. With his research pointing a finger at their sedentary lifestyle rather than an inability to exercise, Hayden sought to create Canada-wide sports programs for the mentally challenged. When Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the Kennedy Foundation in Washington, D.C. heard about Hayden’s goals, they organized the first Special Olympics in Soldiers’ Field, Chicago in 1968. Over 1,000 athletes from 26 states and Canada competed in track and field, floor hockey and aquatic events. A year later, on June 11, 1969, Canada’s first Special Olympics took place in Toronto. Today, the Special Olympics allows thousands of mentally disabled Canadians of all ages to take part in sporting events, including skiing, skating, floor hockey, soccer, bowling, softball, track and field and swimming. Special Olympics programs now exist in 120 countries, promoting physical fitness and competition for millions of persons with mental disabilities.