The Special Olympics is Making History, and FACT is too

Linda Andron-Ostrow, Executive Director

Imagine a starry night in Los Angeles. Just the right temperature. And then you see something you probably never could’ve imagined would happen. An athlete from Iran hands the olypmic torch to an athlete from Israel. Then, furthering a climate of acceptance, the torch is passed to Cuba and from Cuba to the United States. The LA 2015, the Special Olympics World Games, brought this to life.

And history also takes me back to the meeting I had with Eunice Shriver in the early 70s, when I was working at UCLA. The Special Olympics was a nascent program, with the first international games having been held in 1968. And FACT’s programs, at that time focusing on the needs of mothers with intellectual challenges and their children, were just beginning to take shape. I could not have imagined that spectacle that happened on Saturday evening in Los Angeles. I also could not have imaged FACT’s young adults volunteering as fans in the stands for many sports. I could not have imagined that fact would grow to become it’s own not-for-profit, providing a a wide range of services across the age span, advocating inclusion, celebrating diversity, and having so many wonderful stories to tell about the talent, persistence, unbelievable “specialness” of the families and adults that make up the fabric of who we are. 

The week of the Special Olympics is a week about inclusion, a week about the beauty of diversity, and a week about the courage and bravery to try something new. Each story we hear touches us and makes me think about the many beautiful stories we have in our own community.

This week has also been good for me, as I have been contacted by past clients seeking employment. They are coming to our offices not as a child for therapy, but to work for us with projects like video production, PhD studies, etc.

To all special Olympians coaches, hosts, and volunteers, I say thank you for bringing this message to LA.
May it be a harbinger that we can all live in peace
May it be a sign that the talents of everyone on earth will be celebrated
May we all learn to accept ourselves as who we are and accept all those around us with their gifts and their challenges
May we all meet every day with courage and bravery