Every two years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes from around the world come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics.

In 2003 the 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games were held June 21-29th in Dublin, Ireland. This was the first time this major event has been held outside of the United States. Nearly 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches participated in the event which was the largest sporting event ever hosted and the largest sporting event in the world in 2003.