Timothy Shriver

Timothy P. Shriver is the Chairman of Special Olympics. He has, over 16 years, helped build Special Olympics into a movement that focuses on acceptance, inclusion, and respect for individuals with intellectual disabilities in all corners of the globe. It serves 4 million Special Olympics athletes and their families in more than 170 countries. He has also worked with world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, and Julius Nyerere to advance the growth of the Special Olympics mission and vision. He has spearheaded programs in developing or war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Iraq and created exciting new Special Olympics initiatives in athlete leadership, cross-cultural research, health, education, and community building. Among them, Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® has become the world’s largest public health screening and education program for people with intellectual disabilities, and Special Olympics Get Into It®, together with Special Olympics Unified Sports®, promotes inclusion and acceptance among the world’s young people. He has worked to garner more legislative attention and government support for issues of concern to the Special Olympics community, testifying before Congress on numerous occasions. Shriver has harnessed the power of Hollywood to share the stories of inspiration and change. He is Executive Producer of “The Ringer,” a Farrelly Brothers’ film, and he has produced or co-produced shows for ABC, TNT, and NBC networks, and made broadcast appearances on The Today Show, CNN, MTV, and Nickelodeon’s Nick News World of Difference. Shriver was and remains a leading educator focusing on the social and emotional factors in learning. He has worked in substance abuse, violence, dropout, and teen pregnancy prevention. Shriver earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University, a Master's degree in Religion and Religious Education from Catholic University, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Connecticut.

INTERVIEWS

A Discussion with Timothy Shriver
July 3, 2012

Background: Tim Shriver reflected, speaking with Katherine Marshall, on his long history of engagement with Special Olympics and the values that have inspired them and him in his work. He met the earliest form of Special Olympics in his own home, as his mother worked with children with...