Part of what Special Olympics is trying to do is break down stereotypes that still exist for people. There is still a lot of fear.

Maria Shriver has long been publicly associated with Special Olympics through her family’s involvement—its founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was her aunt. The remark reflects the organization’s broader public-messaging efforts in interviews and public appearances, where advocates emphasize that intellectual disability is often met with social stigma, avoidance, and misconceptions. In this framing, Special Olympics is presented not only as an athletic program but as a vehicle for public education and inclusion, aiming to reduce prejudice by increasing visibility and everyday contact between athletes with intellectual disabilities and the wider community.

Shriver frames Special Olympics not only as an athletic program but as a social intervention aimed at changing public attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities. The “stereotypes” and “fear” she mentions point to persistent stigma—misconceptions about capability, safety, and social belonging—that can lead to exclusion in schools, workplaces, and community life. By highlighting fear as an underlying driver, the quote suggests that prejudice is often rooted less in malice than in unfamiliarity and discomfort. The implied remedy is visibility and relationship: when athletes are seen competing, training, and being celebrated, audiences are invited to replace abstract assumptions with concrete human experience.