The University of Missouri System is excited to announce its partnership with Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO).
Special Olympics is the world’s largest global sports organization. Their mission is to empower kids and adults with intellectual disabilities to “discover new strengths, abilities, skills, and much more”1 through sports. Special Olympics is a prolific athletic organization, but it’s also a profound social movement. While the athletic competitions are an important core element of the organization, the overall aim is much larger: to improve the health, self-confidence, and skills of athletes to become productive community members. Learn more about the worldwide organization here.
SOMO was incorporated in 1971 and continues to uphold the global mission of Special Olympics to train and host athletic competitions for individuals throughout Missouri.
Recently, SOMO sent 126 Team Missouri delegates, including 77 athletes, to the 2022 USA Games returning with 71 medals! This outstanding performance is testament to the tremendous athletes supported by SOMO through their hundreds of yearly trainings and competitions.
This summer, SOMO is excited to bring over 1,000 athletes, coaches, volunteers, and partners from across Missouri to Columbia for the Missouri State Summer Games June 2-4. This year’s state games will feature four sports: volleyball, swimming, powerlifting, and track and field. To learn more about the State Summer Games, read their recent press release. If you are interested in supporting SOMO by volunteering, learn about about various opportunities here.
