[MUSIC]
In ancient Rome, the gladiators went into the arena
with these words on their lips,
"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
When I watched the beginnings of Special Olympics in 1968,
you could see that the central genius of the Special Olympics
movement was that it was attacking a painful
and deeply hurtful stigma,
but it was doing it not with words, and not with weapons,
and not with anger, but rather with play,
with an invitation to find common ground. With an experience
where children and adults, together could be united.
When I step out on the ice, it feels like I'm flying.
Early on in our lives, the doctors didn't think that we could function
in a normal class, but my sister and I proved them wrong,
and we're still proving everybody wrong.
We support each other by hugging each other
and saying "good luck",
and when we watch each other skate, it's like BOOM!
Special Olympics helps change people's perspective.
It's all about unity. It's all about inclusion.
What we're trying to do is help them see
our abilities instead of our disabilities.
Their athletes inspire all of us, and so do all the
incredible people who help them achieve their dreams.
This is our Special Olympics album.
Without Special Olympics,
I wouldn't be able to do what I do now.
Raising young children with special needs
is quite an adventure.
Ed needed to be in a self-contained classroom so he could learn.
When he played unified basketball,
he came out of that little room down the hall,
and he was just no longer that kid down in that room.
He was now, you know, Ed. "Hey, Ed! The guy --
you can make a 3-pointer!"
It's breaking down that barrier where the kids are like,
"Oh, not as different as I thought he was."
We both have fun doing Special Olympics together.
You just feel good about yourself, that you did it.
To be awarded a medal, it's a big deal,
because it means you've done the best you can possibly do.
And, what it meant for us is that we get to cheer,
we get to be silly,
but it gives us a chance to be Mom and Dad.
The best part.
Now the Special Olympics movement becomes not for them,
but from them. Not about them, but about us.
Not just sports, but sports to change and open hearts and minds,
to change cultures, to change corporations, to change countries.
It becomes a movement that is joinable by everybody.
We've been so proud to work with Special Olympics for decades
throughout our local communities.
I couldn't be more excited to announce that
United is taking that partnership global.
When we think about United employees, we need you.
When you think about United customers,
we're ready to inspire you.
When you think about United leadership,
we're ready to build the visionary ideas
that will inspire both of our communities.
Our support will go beyond dollars and cents,
because we can join them in their commitment to open
people's hearts to a wider world of human talents and potential.
Who would've thought that a girl from Cleveland, Ohio
would be in a skating competition in front of millions of people
watching at home,
who would receive an ESPY award,
and still proving the doubters wrong,
and that's what I'm going to continue to do
until the day I die.
[music playing]