witness history spoke to organiser anne burke and to athlete frank 0livo about a time when people like or ignored. i was a teacher in the chicago park district in 1965 teaching physical education. teaching skills to special athletes like frank, and frank was in the very beginning of the programme. i was 20 when i was in the special olympics. i had spinal meningitis. it made me slow. back in the early �*60s, there was no activities and no schooling for people with disabilities, or they were in institutions at the time. i tried to get on with everybody on the block and theyjust looked and laughed. i wrote to mrs eunice kennedy shriver and asked her if she would donate some money to put in the first special games. she was very excited. i wrote a proposal to her and the kennedy foundation helped fund it. right here at soldier field, we put on the first games. there were 1,000 athletes. in ancient rome, the gladiators went into the arena with thesel words on their lips, - "let me win, but if i cannot win, let me be brave the attempt." - today, all of you young . athletes are in the arena. m