Loretta Claiborne

Loretta Claiborne is an American global speaker who competes in the Special Olympics. She has been honored with the 1996 Arthur Ashe ESPY Courage Award presented to her by Denzel Washington. Claiborne was the first Special Olympics athlete elected to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.

Claiborne was born partially blind and wore diapers til 30 years old and was unable to talk or walk until the age of four. She has completed over 25 marathons and has placed in the top 100 women finishers of the Boston Marathon twice. In 2000, Claiborne's life was the subject of "The Loretta Claiborne Story", a television film.

Loretta Claiborne competed in 6 Special Olympics world games.

She is also a karate black belt, has been competing in the Special Olympics since 1970, and continues to train in running, figure skating, soccer, skiing, golf, basketball, softball, swimming, tennis, and bowling. Loretta was the 1981 Spirit of Special Olympics award recipient, and the 1988 state athlete of the year. She is on the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Board of Directors, and in 2007 returned to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.

On 9 May 2009, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., unveiled a historic portrait of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the first portrait the Gallery has ever commissioned of an individual who had not served as a U.S. President or First Lady. The portrait of Mrs. Shriver depicts her with four Special Olympics athletes, including Loretta Claiborne, and one Best Buddies participant and was painted by David Lenz, the winner of the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2006. As part of the Portrait Competition prize, the National Portrait Gallery commissions a work from the winning artist to depict a living subject for the collection. Lenz, whose son, Sam, has Down syndrome and is an enthusiastic Special Olympics athlete, was inspired by Mrs. Shriver's dedication to working with people with intellectual disabilities.

...
Wikipedia