T-shirt worn by Special Olympian Loretta Claiborne

Object Details

Description (Brief)

White short sleeve t-shirt with a blue Special Olympics logo on the left breast worn by Special Olympics track athlete Lorette Claiborne. Claiborne attributes the Special Olympics for saving her life. Born with intellectual disabilities and partially blind, Claiborne developed anger issues from constant teasing at school. Introduced to the Special Olympics by social worker Janet McFarland, she was able to channel her anger into success on the track winning countless medals for her efforts. Claiborne still runs every day and holds the record in the 5000 meters for her age group. She is also a motivational speaker who speaks four languages including American Sign Language. Claiborne has a fourth degree black belt in karate, has completed 26 marathons and her 1996 ESPY Award- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage is one of many accolades she has won over the years.

From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, to the first international games in 1968, Special Olympics has been about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sport. This participation builds confidence, provides emotional support and offers social opportunities for the athletes and their families. With state chapters and a global presence through its World Games, “Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities with 5 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide.”

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Loretta Clairborne

ID Number

2017.0335.01

accession number

2017.0335

catalog number

2017.0335.01

Object Name

t-shirt, special olympics

t-shirt

Physical Description

fabric, cotton (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 25 in x 18 1/2 in; 63.5 cm x 46.99 cm

See more items in

Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure

Sports & Leisure

National Museum of American History

name of sport

Special Olympics

level of sport

Amateur

web subject

Women

African American

Disabilities

Record ID

nmah_1863737

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-99dd-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa