Special Olympics

Special Olympics

Special Olympics
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 9 to 12
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.72

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		aquatics, higher-level, timid, lottery, formation, gender, inspiration, worthy, division, bronze, snowboarding, organization, regional, annual, based, providing
	content words:		Rose Marie Kennedy, Special Olympics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Camp Shriver, Special Olympic Summer Games, Special Olympics Winter Games, Steamboat Springs, Special Olympic Summer, World Games, Kennedy Shriver

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Special Olympics
By Phyllis Naegeli

¹     In 1918, a baby girl was born to one of America's most famous families. Rose Marie Kennedy came into the world on September 13. She was timid and shy as a young girl. She had trouble learning. Her parents discovered she was mentally retarded. Rosie, as she was known to family and friends, became the inspiration for the Special Olympics.

²     In 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Rosie's sister, started Camp Shriver for people with mental retardation. It was held at the Shriver home in Rockland, Maryland. Thirty-five people attended the camp the first summer. It became an annual event. Each year more people would come to the camp. Word spread about the importance of physical fitness for people with mental handicaps, leading to the formation of the Special Olympics.

³     The first Special Olympic Summer Games were held at Soldier's Field in Chicago, Illinois. One thousand athletes attended the games. Events were held in athletics, floor hockey, and aquatics. The popularity of Special Olympics grew rapidly. By 1975, three thousand five hundred athletes from ten countries competed at the games. In 1977, the first Special Olympics Winter Games were held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Five hundred athletes competed in skiing and skating events. Today, Special Olympic Summer games have competitions in 19 separate events. These include volleyball, swimming, aquatics, and gymnastics. Winter sports include skiing, skating, snowboarding, and floor hockey.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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