Jim Payne

Special Olympics Florida, Inc. provides year-round sports training and competition, health services, and leadership programs to individuals with intellectual disabilities at no cost to the athletes or their caregivers. The non-profit company is based in Clermont, FL. The organization serves over 60,000 athletes statewide and aims to create communities where individuals with intellectual disabilities are treated with respect and given equal opportunities. Special Olympics Florida offers a variety of Olympic-type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities who wish to participate. The organization's mission is to improve athletes' ability to train and compete through the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program, developed in 1997 by Special Olympics International. Special Olympics Florida also promotes social inclusion through Unified Champion Schools, which brings together young people with and without intellectual disabilities on sports teams. The company was founded in 1962, and the CEO is Sherry L. Wheelock.