Nashville to Host 2034 Special Olympics USA Games

Nashville has won the bid to host the Special Olympics national games in 2034. 

Special Olympics Tennessee has been working on the bid, which Adam Germek — president and CEO of Special Olympics Tennessee — tells the Scene was a 280-page document, for the better part of four years. Representatives from the Special Olympics USA say the bid committee was looking for support from around the city, including corporate partners and area athletic organizations.

During Wednesday's announcement at Bridgestone Arena, Mayor Freddie O’Connell spoke alongside Nathan Green, vice chancellor for government and community relations at Vanderbilt University; Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp; and Brad Turner, commissioner of the Department of Disability and Aging. Mascots from several area sports teams were on hand for the announcement and contract signing.

O’Connell noted he re-established the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities and expanded the WeGo Access Ride program for people with disabilities this year too.

“When we came here, we didn't feel like this was just another event that would get lost in Nashville, because there's a lot going on in Nashville,” said Dimitri Christakis, chief health officer of the Special Olympics and one of the heads of the bid committee. “We really felt that sense [that] it's really important to the community. It's good for all, not only persons with disabilities, but persons without disabilities to learn awareness. Part of that is having that whole community be a part of the event.” 

The Special Olympics produces regional games yearly and a national competition every four years. There are also international games once every two years, and those alternate between summer and winter. The 2027 summer games are set for Santiago, Chile. Nashville had originally sought the 2030 bid for the USA games, though that was ultimately awarded to Cleveland, Ohio. The 2026 national games are set to take place in Minnesota. 

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Local Special Olympics Athletes Find Community, Competition

Annual Tennessee Summer Games will take place May 17 and 18 in Nashville

More than 4,000 Special Olympics athletes and 1,000 coaches are anticipated in Nashville in 2034 and will stay in the Vanderbilt University dormitories. Many of the venues will be on campus, and the Music City Center will host basketball and volleyball courts. Event organizers also anticipate that 100,000 family members of athletes, volunteers and spectators will travel to Nashville for the games. 

Jimmy Clark, a Special Olympics Tennessee athlete, said at Wednesday’s press conference that he hopes to compete in fitness, which Tennessee is eyeing as its legacy event addition for the games. It's known as “Train 4 Life,” and is similar to CrossFit games — the goal is to introduce it to the USA games for the first time in 2034.  

“Since I started two decades ago, I have made many friends,” Clark said Wednesday. “I feel like I've learned a lot of things about work, teamwork and just wanting to compete and have that same ability to feel like I can compete with all these other athletes that you see out there, being able to know that we're just as important as those you see on the Olympics every four years.” 

Tennessee has 18,000 Special Olympics athletes, with capacity to serve many more, Germek with Special Olympics Tennessee says. He says one of the goals of hosting the event is to bring awareness and gain more athletes. 

“There's approximately 500,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities in our state," says Germek. "We want them all to have the opportunity and access to the Special Olympics and the community. The community came out of the woodwork. We had a petition that we opened to the public, and within the first two weeks, we had 1,000 signatures saying we want the games to come to Nashville, so we knew we were on the right track."