“Special Olympics means being fit, being nice to each other and making new friends. I have a great time with Special Olympics Yukon.”

                                   - Special Olympics Yukon Athlete - Darby McIntyre

Utilizing sport for a better life

For over 35 years, Special Olympics Yukon has optimized the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle through sport to improve the wellbeing of individuals with an intellectual disability. To this day, we continue to use this as our main focus.

Mission Statement

Special Olympics Yukon is dedicated to enriching the lives of Yukoners with an intellectual disability through sport.

Who We Serve

The primary focus of Special Olympics Yukon is to enrich the lives of individuals with an intellectual disability through their involvement in sport.

According to the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), an individual is considered to have an intellectual disability based on the following three criteria:

1. Intellectual functioning level (IQ) is below 75;
2. Significant limitations exist in two or more adaptive skill areas; and
3. An intellectual disability manifests itself before the age of 18.

Adaptive skills are assessed in the person’s typical environment across all aspects of an individual’s life. A person with limits in intellectual functioning who does not have limits in adaptive skill areas may not be diagnosed as having an intellectual disability.

And then, it is the type of disability, in this case intellectual instead of physical, which differentiates Special Olympics from the Paralympics. Although the International Olympic Committee recognizes Special Olympics and Paralympics, they are two separate and distinct organizations.

Another fundamental difference that sets Special Olympics apart from other sports organizations is that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate. Through the use of equitable divisioning, competitions are structured so that athletes are able to compete with other athletes of similar abilities.

The minimum age requirement for participation in Special Olympics Yukon programs is four years of age.