Good Sports: Special Olympics Moves to Long Beach
I just listened online to Art Levine's interview with Bill Shumard, former Long Beach State Athletic Director and current President & CEO of Special Olympics of Southern California ( www.straighttalktv.com) which served to remind me of how important physical activity and fitness are to everyone. Anyone who knows me well, gets to hear far too much about my latest cycling exploits or incredibly modest accomplishments in the gym. Just yesterday, while meeting with a client, we found time to discuss the upcoming US Open (tennis), the Williams sisters, and the sex of Lindsay Davenport's baby before winding up our meeting. (It's OK, it was a flat fee engagement!) Then there's the Dodgers and USC football! I know all of those interests have contributed significantly to my overall health and happiness. Even when I or my favorite teams lose.
Special Olympics is the incredibly successful organization that provides access to athletic training and competition to athletes with intellectual disabilities from ages 8 to 80. While SOSC already serves over 12,000 athletes in Southern California, Shumard indicated that he would like to double or even triple that number in the next decade. In addition to the joy of competition, Shumard notes that Special Olympic athletes tend to experience success in many other aspects of life including holding down jobs, gaining greater self-esteem, experiencing better health, and forming lifelong friendships. And while most people tend to think of kids when they think of Special Olympic athletes, the average age of athlete is 37 years.
SOSC has recently moved a portion of its headquarters to Long Beach from Culver City. However, Long Beach had a longstanding commitment to Special Olympics having hosted the summer games for the past 9 years. Whether you are an potential athlete, volunteer, or donor, I encourage you to visit their website(s) to learn more.
Special Olympics of Southern California www.sosc.org
Special Olympics www.specialolympics.org
Special Olympics is the incredibly successful organization that provides access to athletic training and competition to athletes with intellectual disabilities from ages 8 to 80. While SOSC already serves over 12,000 athletes in Southern California, Shumard indicated that he would like to double or even triple that number in the next decade. In addition to the joy of competition, Shumard notes that Special Olympic athletes tend to experience success in many other aspects of life including holding down jobs, gaining greater self-esteem, experiencing better health, and forming lifelong friendships. And while most people tend to think of kids when they think of Special Olympic athletes, the average age of athlete is 37 years.
SOSC has recently moved a portion of its headquarters to Long Beach from Culver City. However, Long Beach had a longstanding commitment to Special Olympics having hosted the summer games for the past 9 years. Whether you are an potential athlete, volunteer, or donor, I encourage you to visit their website(s) to learn more.
Special Olympics of Southern California www.sosc.org
Special Olympics www.specialolympics.org
Comments