Special Olympics New Mexico Initiatives

Unified Sports
This initiative brings together Special Olympics athletes and individuals without intellectual disabilities who are of similar age and ability to train and compete on the same team.  The concept of combining athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without was first introduced in the mid-1980’s to promote equality and inclusion.  Unified Sports enables athletes to learn new sports, develop higher-level sports skills, and experience meaningful inclusion as each athlete is ensured of playing a valued role on the team.

The Unified Sports program also enables athletes to socialize with peers and form friendships and to participate in their communities and have choices outside of Special Olympics (many Unified Sports teams are part of city and local leagues).

Athlete Leadership Programs
Special Olympics athletes are the leaders of the movement.  Through Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) athletes explore opportunities in roles previously considered “non-traditional.”  Such participation might come in the form of an athlete serving on the board of directors or local organizing committee, or it might find an athlete as a spokesperson, team captain, coach or official. 

Healthy Athletes
The Healthy Athletes initiative is designed to improve each athlete’s ability to train and compete in Special Olympics.  Health care professionals in communities throughout New Mexico offer vision, dental, hearing and podiatry screenings, nutritional counseling and physical therapy stretching and training protocols.  All services are provided pro bono to Special Olympics athletes at selected state competitions.

Special Olympics New Mexico is sponsored locally by Mountain States Insurance Group, Dex Media, Sprint Communications, Citadel Broadcasting Company, ConocoPhillips, New Mexico Mutual Group, Wells Fargo, the Law Enforcement Torch Run and the New Mexico Knights of Columbus.