AUSTIN, Texas — The KVUE Sports Team had the opportunity to attend a very special event Friday morning: the Breakfast of Champions.
The Breakfast of Champions celebrated Special Olympics Texas and featured a keynote speaker who's a familiar face in Austin. Former Longhorns running back and NFL star Jamaal Charles spoke at the event.
During his speech, Charles shared his own experiences as a Special Olympics athlete as a kid, when he was 10 years old. Charles was diagnosed with a learning disability and said the Special Olympics gave him an avenue to discover his athletic talents.
KVUE spoke with Charles after his speech and he expressed his hopes moving forward for future Special Olympics athletes.
"I just hope that they get that you're going to be told no because you have a disability, but that shouldn't be a reason that you don't keep going on with your life," Charles said. "Surprise somebody with hard work ... that's why I'm here. To bring awareness that we should be able to unify everyone together and not put a big gap between us and other kids because you don't think we can do the norms. We should be able to be champions, just like them."
Special Olympics Texas is a year-round movement, holding more than 300 competitions annually on area, regional and state levels, according to their website. Event divisions are based on age, gender and ability level to give athletes an equal chance to win. Each participant receives a medal or ribbon following their events.
Special Olympics Texas holds six statewide events annually: Summer Games, Equestrian, Sailing/Kayaking, Fall Classic, Winter Games and Flag Football.
Special Olympics athletes may start training as early as six years of age, but must turn eight years old before they are eligible to compete. Athletes must be 12 years old to compete in statewide competitions, the website says.
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