There are few stories as inspiring as those of Special Olympics New Hampshire athletes. Whether excelling in their chosen sport, building skills and strength through training, or gaining confidence through community involvement, our athletes are consistently challenging perceptions about individuals with intellectual disabilities. At Special Olympics New Hampshire, we celebrate our athletes everyday and with our Celebration of Athletes series, we are excited to bring their inspiring stories directly to you.


SONH Athlete Spotlight

Martha Boddy has been involved with Special Olympics New Hampshire for 30 years. Living in Exeter, she competes in Track & Field on the Exeter Area team. Martha is one of six children and, growing up, she couldn’t physically do everything her siblings could and battled with depression and anxiety. In 7th grade, one of her resource teachers introduced her to Special Olympics. Her first event was the 100 meters, and as Martha says, “It was the first time I felt like an athlete.”

Martha Boddy taking home the gold at the 2024 State Summer Games

In April, Athlete Leaders were invited to apply for an Athlete Storytelling Series hosted by Special Olympics North America. A small number of athletes were chosen to develop and enhance their storytelling skills over six months. After submitting her video and written applications and interviewing, Martha was selected and is now honing her storytelling skills.

Martha is involved in the Athlete Leadership Program and serves as an athlete representative for Reveal the Champion events, where she shares the impact of Special Olympics with those unfamiliar with our mission. When she isn’t competing, Martha volunteers and takes full advantage of everything that Special Olympics New Hampshire has to offer and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her!


Do you have a story of how Special Olympics New Hampshire has impacted your life? Let us know!

A Brief History of Special Olympics

The Special Olympics movement began in the 1950s and early 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver noticed how unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. Shriver believed that people with intellectual disabilities could accomplish more if given the same opportunities as everyone else. In 1962, she hosted a summer day camp in her backyard called “Camp Shriver” for young people with intellectual disabilities. She also directed the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation and was a driving force behind President John F. Kennedy’s White House panel on people with intellectual disabilities.

The first Special Olympics competition was held in Chicago’s Soldier Field in July 1968, and was intended to highlight ability, not disability. The event is described as “daybreak”, which marked the beginning of a global movement for people with intellectual disabilities.

Today, the Special Olympics World Games take place every two years and alternate between Summer and Winter Games, similar to the Olympics and Paralympics. These World Games can be the world’s largest sporting event of the year, attracting as many as 350,000 volunteers and coaches, plus several thousands of athletes.


We, at Special Olympics New Hampshire, signal support, respect and inclusion for our athletes. Our athletes have voices and individual choice in how they choose to identify. We are a sports organization, our participants are athletes, through sports, our athletes thrive, find success and feel included.

Yeah, I am Special!

Special:

EXCEPTIONALLY GREAT. IMPORTANT. UNIQUE. SPECIAL IS SOMETHING TO STRIVE FOR. THE ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT. A WORD WE CAN ALL HOPE TO BE CALLED. NOT FOR THE THINGS WE CANNOT DO. BUT FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN.


What Does Special Olympics New Hampshire Mean To You?

We asked some of our athlete leaders and parents how Special Olympics New Hampshire has impacted their lives. Read on to see what they had to say.

SONH Athlete Leader, Chelsea Schultz

Special Olympics has helped me be the person I am today. I have become a better leader, friend and athlete. What I like most about Special Olympics that we all became family. As a result of being part of Special Olympics, I have been able to keep myself active, and advocate for myself and other Athletes.

Beth Lemieux, SONH Parent

We were looking for a sports program for our son to feel welcomed and valued as an athlete and through SONH we found a community, a community where the whole family has found belonging, friends and support.

SONH Athlete Leader, Josh Janvrin

Special Olympics helped me get through grieving my brother’s death and helped me to trust people again after being bullied.  Special Olympics gave me the confidence to even apply to be an athlete representative on the Special Olympics New Hampshire Board of Directors. Because of Special Olympics New Hampshire, I am proud of who I am today. I am so thankful I got involved and because of Special Olympics, my quality of life has improved. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me!

Mark Thornton, SONH Parent

Special Olympics New Hampshire helped my son grow so much that the now lives independently, is employed at two jobs, drives his own car, and shares his life with a partner. He now says he is “living the dream. Special Olympics New Hampshire changed his life. Special Olympics New Hampshire helped him find his dream.

SONH Athlete Leader. Amy Spotts

Special Olympics has empowered me to feel confident in myself and to set and achieve goals I never imagined possible.  My next goal is to become the first female long-distance runner for SONH at a national or international competition. Special Olympics has provided me tremendous amounts of independence and growth.  I am proud to say, last year at 36 years old, my parental guardianship was terminated and I am now my own guardian. My parents and I are so proud. I am so unbelievably grateful for this organization and what it has provided to me. I can’t wait to see how my future unfolds.