Karen Ryan wakes up every day and proves that a mother’s love has no bounds. When her daughter, Violet was born, there were no congratulations. No “your baby is beautiful.” It was just, “she looks like she has down syndrome”. 

That was the start of her daughter’s life, and for Karen, she was scared of how the world would treat Violet. As Violet grew, so did her abilities. Karen, once an elite athlete herself, recognized early that Violet inherited many of her athletic gifts and she made it her mission to foster Violet’s talent.

Joining Young Athletes was life-changing for Violet and Karen was there right beside her, cheering her on. Karen is the perfect example of a 🏅Champion of Inclusion🏅 by changing hearts and minds at Special Olympics Minnesota. She's leading the next generation of world-class athletes and opening a bright new world for children of all abilities and their parents.

So far, over 12,011 have signed our Inclusion Pledge, and with support like that, we’ve changed the lives of millions of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). But, there is still so much more to do to build acceptance. 

Commit to that vision today by adding your name to our Inclusion Pledge and help us reach our goal of 50,000 signatures!

Sign now. Show that you’ll do your part to create a truly inclusive world.

Thank you,

The Special Olympics Team