Special Olympics and Nike Launch Strategic Push for 600,000 Global Coaches

Special Olympics International has announced a three-year global partnership with Nike, setting an ambitious target to grow its coaching roster from 250,000 to 600,000 by 2030.

The agreement, announced as the organisation continues its recovery from the pandemic, focuses on “Unified Sports” coaching certifications, digital curriculum development, and the recruitment of 600 additional volunteer coaches across key international hubs including Tokyo, Berlin, and Johannesburg.

The partnership addresses a workforce deficit; Special Olympics lost nearly 50% of its coaching base during the 2020 global pause.

Since then, the roster has grown at approximately 10% annually, but the leap to 600,000 represents a 140% increase over the next six years.

Officially assuming the role on 1 January 2026, and emphasising the honour and responsibility of the coaching role, Special Olympics CEO, David Evangelista, said: “With Nike, we will be investing in making sure we have state-of-the-art coaching resources.”

The program’s local impact in the Asia-Pacific region is bolstered by Special Olympics Australia’s own “Green and Gold Runway” toward the Brisbane 2032 Games.

Under the leadership of CEO Jamie O’Connor, the Australian organisation is currently preparing for the 2026 National Games in Melbourne.

The global Nike partnership will provide state-specific support for inclusive coaching academies and digital translations, ensuring that the recognisable standard of Unified Sports, where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities play together, reaches more schools and community clubs.

Nike’s involvement also prioritises gender parity, with a specific focus on recruiting young women and girls to lead Unified programs.

Commenting on the partnership, Nike representative, said: “This partnership reflects our shared belief that everyone is an athlete.”

The brand will leverage its three decades of youth sport expertise to modernise training modules, reducing the burden on volunteers while increasing the retention rate, which remains a key strength of the organisation.

As Special Olympics Australia enters its 50th anniversary year, the alignment with Nike provides a robust commercial and logistical framework to scale.

By integrating these global resources into local pathway programmes, the movement aims to ensure that every athlete with an intellectual disability or autism has a certified, high-quality coach to guide their development on and off the field.

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