T-shirt worn by Special Olympian Loretta Claiborne

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T-shirt

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

name of sport: Special Olympics
level of sport: Amateur
web subject: Women; African American; Disabilities

See more items in: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure; Sports & Leisure

Credit Line: Loretta Clairborne

Data Source: National Museum of American History

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

Metadata Usage: CC0

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

Record ID: nmah_1863737