“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
I can’t remember the first time I heard the Special Olympics Oath – it must have been over 30 years ago at one of my older sister’s first competitions – but I am sure I heard it and promptly forgot it, as a typical pre-teen would (this was before the word “tween” became a part of the American lexicon). Since then I have volunteered at the Games and also helped coach the team my sister, Kelly, swims for. At some point between the early 1980’s and now I stopped and really thought about those words. Fifteen words and none of them very long or difficult to understand, but put them together and they mean so much more.
“Let me win.”
One thing that I think volunteers and spectators don’t often realize is that just because these athletes have intellectual disabilities does NOT mean they don’t want to win. I am pretty confident that most coaches and family members already know this. My sister has been swimming for over 30 years and is still as competitive as ever, as are most of her teammates. Yes, some of the Special Olympians are just happy to be participating, but many want to win just as much as we all do when competing.
“But if I cannot win, … “
In a world where childrens’ sports leagues are regularly criticized for giving every player a trophy, not keeping score, or letting everyone get the same number of times at bat, I think this is very important – that not everyone wins. Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw that there were not athletic opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities, like her sister Rosemary, and started a camp in her backyard, that later evolved into The Special Olympics. She realized that these children could do more than others realized and that sports were an important way they could . The Special Olympics website describes the Power of Sports this way:
“At Special Olympics, we believe that sports can teach us all important lessons. When we train and strive for a goal, it teaches us to dream. When we struggle, it teaches us determination. When we win, we find joy. And if we lose, we can find the strength to try again.”
When Mrs. Shriver started her camps, allowing the athletes to win was not the point, but allowing them to compete was, and still is. Win or lose, the lessons are learned and these are lessons that people of all levels of ability can benefit from.
” … let me be brave in the attempt.”
Let me not whine because the other guy cheated, or the officials missed a call … but let me be brave in my attempt to win. Let me work hard, and if I do struggle or fall, let me not give up, but keep working toward my goal. It is hard to explain how inspiring it is to watch an athlete, who may not have been included or welcome on sports teams with their peers due to their disabilities, be encouraged and praised for doing their best, no matter the outcome. At some events the athlete who finishes last may get the most applause after overcoming obstacles that you or I may think are impossible to conquer.
I did a bit of searching trying to find out who wrote the oath. The internet is full of so much information and I found a few references to these words being spoken by Roman gladiators. In one article I found a bit more information. Paul Weeks wrote:
Herb Kramer was public-relations adviser to the John F. Kennedy Foundation when Eunice Kennedy Shriver discussed with him the idea of an oath for the first Special Olympics Summer Games, scheduled for July 10, 1968, in Chicago. “I asked Herb to draft something so that the athletes would feel good about trying, and if they were not successful, they wouldn’t feel that they had failed,” Shriver recalled.Herb suggested that the athletes go into the arena with these words on their lips, just like Roman gladiators: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” And that’s the way Shriver opened the first Special Olympics.
What a wonderful legacy Mrs. Shriver left and her family continues her work. Her son, Timothy, is the Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics. The next time there are games near you go by and watch, maybe even volunteer at the games or as a coach. This is also the perfect time of year to support Special Olympics by purchasing one of the A Very Special Christmas CDs. It is the 25th Anniversary of the first CD and in those 25 years they have raised over $100 million for Special Olympics.
thanks, speedy God ... 