2013 People Symbolically Gather in Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul

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Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013
Celebrates 100 Days To Go
2013 People Symbolically Gather in Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul




Chairwoman Na and Yuna Kim begin the walk along the Cheonggye Stream at the 100-Day Countdown Celebration for Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013 which will be held from 29 January- 5 February 2013. (PHOTO CREDIT: Woohae Cho/AP Images for Special Olympics)
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Seoul, South Korea – 21 October 2012 – Today PyeongChang, South Korea has marked 100 days to go until the start of the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games, the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event, with a celebration of events in Seoul and in Gangneung.
The celebration event called “Together We Walk” brought together 2013 people to do a 3km walk down the iconic Cheonggye stream in Seoul, showing the spirit of unity and inclusion that the upcoming World Winter Games will foster. Festivities included the walk, cultural events, a performance of K-Pop Idol Group, N-TRAIN, and concluded with Poppin HyunJun leading a flash mob to the Korean hit “Gangnam Style”. Korean Olympians including Yuna Kim, Sim Kwon Ho, Kim Won Ki, Lee En Chul, Jang Jeong Goo and Jang Yoon Chang also participated in the celebration of Korea preparing to host the world’s most inspiring sporting event in just over three months time. High-resolution images of the celebration are available for media use at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soi-photo-stream/sets/72157631818119868/
The official theme song of the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games was also unveiled and sung by Lee Juck. The theme song was produced by Korean music director, Lee Byeong Woo, who has produced music scores of several famous Korean films such as “King and the Clown”.
“With 100 days to go to until the start of the World Winter Games, Special Olympics athletes from more than 100 countries are training to showcase their abilities on this international stage in PyeongChang,” said Timothy Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics. “Korea is opening its arms to people with intellectual disabilities and showing the world what our athletes are capable of achieving, both on and off the playing field. In 100 days, lives will be changed, dreams will become realities and we hope more acceptance will be found worldwide.”
The 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in PyeongChang, Korea from 29 January to 5 February 2013, at the same site where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held. Media are invited to register now to cover the Games in PyeongChang this coming January. Media who cannot attend but can help spread awareness are encouraged to contact Special Olympics for details on satellite feed options, photos and stories available to the press.
The World Winter Games will feature more than 3,000 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from over 100 countries who will compete in seven Olympic-type sports: alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, short track speed skating, figure skating, floor hockey and also a demonstration sport of floor ball. These World Winter Games will showcase the unlimited potential of people with intellectual disabilities – the largest disability population in the world.
Every two years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes worldwide come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics, which holds over 50,000 competitions a year. The first Special Olympics World Games took place in 1968 and since then Special Olympics World Games have evolved into a world-class sporting event, attracting a wide range of sponsors, supporters and media. Alternating between Summer Games and Winter Games, Special Olympics World Games bring public attention to the talents and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change attitudes and break down barriers that excluded them from the mainstream of the community.

About Special Olympics:
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives through the power of sport by empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to 4 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and related programs. Special Olympics takes place daily, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities all over the world. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; Facebook fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com

About the Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013:
The 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held from 29 January to 5 February 2013 in PyeongChang, Korea, the hub of winter sports. It will be the largest Special Olympics World Winter Games featuring seven categories of sports including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow boarding, snow shoeing, speed skating, figure skating, floor hockey, and demo sport floorball. The Games will demonstrate unity as they overcome differences of region, borders, political belief, age, race and religion. More information is available at the 2013 World Winter Games official website: http://www.2013sopoc.org

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