08/02/2026
Minnesota truly served as the heart of inclusion for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. The joy, unity, and determination left an indelible mark on everyone involved.
Here is a look at the impact by the numbers:
🤸 2,862 Athletes & Unified Partners competed with passion across 16 sports, including the exciting debut of Pickleball and Co****le!
🏅 4,200 Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals were awarded across 163 Special Olympics and Unified competitions.
👥 4,215 total delegation members representing 52 U.S. programs were welcomed to Minnesota.
🤝 13,000 volunteers dedicated 200,000+ total hours of support to make the Games run seamlessly.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 9,700 family members and 1,200 honored guests traveled to cheer on the competitors.
🐶 37 athlete, celebrity, and influencer ambassadors—along with Champ the Dog, the first-ever live mascot—helped spread the magic!
📺 Generated 21.6 Billion earned media impressions and 3.7 Billion potential social media impressions.
💻 Over 7.8 Million visits to www.2026usagames.org and 35,000 downloads of the official Champions App.
💙 4,500 free shoes, 874 pairs of eyeglasses, and 175 hearing aids.
🧑🍳 Served 118,734 total meals and logged 3,800 room nights across 25 partner hotels.
Thank you to every athlete, coach, volunteer, sponsor, and fan who made history in Minnesota! 🔥
