Eunice Kennedy Shriver combined her passion for helping those with intellectual disabilities and sports to create the Special Olympics in the 1960s.

Her dedication throughout her life to helping those less fortunate is the reason she was named one of the top 100 most influential student-athletes.

Shriver, the fifth of nine siblings — which include a president, two senators and an ambassador — has been selected for numerous honors throughout her life, including the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award in 2002.

The first International Special Olympics Games were held July 20, 1968, and today the movement provides year-round sports training and competition to more than 2.2 million people from 150 countries.

"I look back over the past 40 years and cannot believe how Special Olympics has grown, not just in the United States but throughout the world," Shriver said in an e-mail. "The growth of Special Olympics is credited to the thousands of volunteers and family members who truly believe in the idea that anyone, no matter their ability, should have the chance to enjoy sports."

Shriver was inspired by her sister Rosemary, who grew up with an intellectual disability, to a lifetime of service in this area.

Shriver graduated from Stanford University in 1943 with a degree in sociology. She competed in swimming, and track and field. Shriver still teaches swimming to persons with intellectual disabilities at Camp Shriver during the summer.

"The joy of sports helped me realize that everyone should have the opportunity to experience that same joy, which has driven my passion for establishing opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities," Shriver said.