India Just Won 73 Medals At 2017’s Special Winter Olympics

Nearly 50 years down the line, what started in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s (John F. Kennedy’s sister) backyard, during one of her many summer day camps, has evolved into what we know as the Special Winter Olympics today. After noticing the unjust treatment several people with intellectual disabilities faced, Eunice had a soft spot for the children affected by the same, as they were often not even given a place to play. In the early 1960s, she started summer camps, with the goal of learning what these children were capable of, rather than what they weren’t.

As the years went by, her passion led to the formation of the Special Olympics movement, which officially began in 1968. The movement had an unsteady start, but today, it is a leading voice in creating awareness about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics are held every two years, alternating between Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics.

The 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games was held in Austria in March, and offers sports such as Football, Figure Skating, Basketball, Golf, Floor Hockey, Roller Skating, Snowboarding, Tennis, and many more. With a grand total of 73 medals, 37 of these were gold medal winners! A majority of the gold medals were won in the following team events — Floor Hockey (male), Unified Floorball, and Traditional Floorball. Not ones to be left behind, the women’s hockey team also collected 16 bronze medals!

Individually, India managed to score gold medals in Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding, but also scored several silver medals and bronze medals in Snowshoeing, Speed, and Figure Skating. Events like this not only encourage the abilities of those often looked over in society, but also allow them to connect with others like them, on a platform where they are appreciated for their skills. In the last edition, India brought home 173 medals in 2015, which made up for more than India’s tally at the last Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and The Olympics combined! If only we’d encourage, instead of simply shelter the disabled, perhaps then we’d see them truly shine.

If you’d like to learn more, or volunteer, visit http://www.specialolympics.org/ for more details.

Feature Image Credit — Hindustan Times