WASHINGTON D.C. Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Special Olympics, is a visionary friend and great fan of open water swimming.

In Athens at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, Tim was extremely impressed with the 35 Special Olympics athletes who competed in the 1.5K race in the Aegean Sea in Marathon Bay.

In his speeches and his actions behind the scenes, his support of open water swimming was crucial to its success. In addition to overseeing the 35 open water swimmers, Tim also serves 3.1 million Special Olympics athletes and their families in 175 countries around the world.

He has helped transform Special Olympics into a movement that focuses on respect, acceptance and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities in all corners of the globe – and the addition of open water swimming is one specific embodiment of that philosophy.

After taking the helm at Special Olympics in 1996, Tim launched the Special Olympics’ most ambitious program which has led to the recruitment of more than 2 million new athletes around the world. He has worked with the leaders of China to initiate a thriving Special Olympics Program in their country, highlighted by their hosting the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. He has also worked with world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Bertie Ahern, Rafiq Hariri, Thabo Mbeki, Julius Nyerere, Hosni Mubarak and Shimon Peres to advance the growth of the Special Olympics mission and vision while challenging nations to adopt more supportive and just policies. He has spearheaded programs in developing or war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia Herzegovina and Iraq.

A great friend of the community indeed as the next Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015 heads to Los Angeles, California.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source