Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) will celebrate its 55th Summer Games Thursday through Saturday at Penn State’s University Park campus.
Opening ceremonies will take place starting at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. New this year, as athletes arrive, they will be treated to ice cream and an action sports demo by professional athletes on bikes, scooters and skates performing flips, jumps and twists over ramps.
The lighting of the the Olympic Cauldron by the Flame of Hope, carried by participants of the annual 150-mile “Be a Fan” Torch Run, will conclude the ceremonies and symbolize the official start of the Summer Games.
More 2,000 athletes, 800 coaches and 1,000 volunteers participate in SOPA’s largest statewide competition.
Over three days, athletes will be competing throughout campus in aquatics, athletics, basketball, equestrian, tennis and gymnastics. They also will be offered free health screenings and educational events through the Healthy Athletes programs at the Olympic Village behind the IM Building, which will also host music dancing, field games and outdoor activities on Friday evening.
See the full Summer Games schedule at specialolympicspa.org/summer-games-info.
The 2025 Summer Games will also serve as preparation and training for athletes competing in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis, where 91 athletes and Unified Partners and 25 coaches will represent Team PA next June.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania provides year-round training and competition in 21 Olympic-type sports to more than 15,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities.
The first SOPA Summer Games consisted of a track and field meet at West Chester University with 135 athletes. This will be the 35th year the games have been held at Penn State as the event has grown exponentially.
