{"id":8084,"date":"2026-05-18T22:12:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:12:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/?p=8084"},"modified":"2026-05-18T22:51:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:51:30","slug":"dr-frank-hayden-founder-of-the-special-olympics-movement-has-passed-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/en\/dr-frank-hayden-founder-of-the-special-olympics-movement-has-passed-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the Special Olympics movement, has passed away"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8084\" class=\"elementor elementor-8084 elementor-8073\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-235f14a elementor-section-content-top elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"235f14a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ccbcd73\" data-id=\"ccbcd73\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c00139b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c00139b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-8075 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dr-frank-legacy-images-300x200.png\" alt=\"Dr Frank Hayden\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dr-frank-legacy-images-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dr-frank-legacy-images-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dr-frank-legacy-images-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dr-frank-legacy-images.png 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p><p>The Special Olympics Quebec community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Francis \u201cFrank\u201d J. Hayden, one of the great pioneers in the advancement, promotion, and social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, and the founder of the global Special Olympics movement. Mr. Hayden passed away on May 16 at the age of 96.<\/p><p>As a professor and researcher specializing in exercise physiology and psychology at the University of Toronto in the early 1960s, Frank Hayden studied children living with intellectual disabilities. Noting that their physical condition was significantly poorer than that of neurotypical children, he challenged the notion that it was their intellectual disability that prevented them from participating in sports.<\/p><p>He demonstrated that, if given the opportunity, people with intellectual disabilities can acquire the skills necessary to play sports and be physically fit. In 1964, he published and distributed a guide for teachers and parents to explain his approach.<\/p><p>He met Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John F. Kennedy, and together they organized the first Special Olympics in Chicago in 1968. His vision\u2014to provide people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in organized sports within structured teams\u2014took shape and began in Canada in 1969. In Quebec, it was No\u00eblla Douglas who, inspired by Dr. Hayden, founded Special Olympics Quebec in 1981.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_8079\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8079\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8079 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MarionAndFrankHayden-300x241.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MarionAndFrankHayden-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MarionAndFrankHayden.jpg 736w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8079\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marion and Frank Hayden<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Throughout his life, Dr. Hayden, alongside his late wife Marion, continued to develop the Special Olympics movement across the globe. Special Olympics now has more than five million athletes and is present in over 200 countries and territories.<\/p><blockquote><p>\u201cFrank Hayden dedicated his life to the recognition, promotion, and empowerment of people with intellectual disabilities and to their social inclusion through sport and health. He deeply loved the Special Olympics athletes of Quebec, Canada, and the world, and he believed in them. Thank you, Dr. Hayden, for your vision, your enthusiasm, and your unwavering perseverance. Your legacy is immense\u201d <br \/>\u2013 Daniel Granger, President of Special Olympics Quebec.<\/p><\/blockquote><figure id=\"attachment_8077\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8077\" style=\"width: 245px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8077 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FrancineGendron-FrankHayden-final-245x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"245\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FrancineGendron-FrankHayden-final-245x300.jpg 245w, https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FrancineGendron-FrankHayden-final.jpg 703w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 245px) 100vw, 245px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8077\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francine Gendron, Executive Director of Special Olympics Quebec, and Frank Hayden.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Le Dr Frank Dr. Frank Hayden has received numerous awards and honors for his monumental contributions. In 2019, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2022, he was promoted to Companion, the highest rank of Canada\u2019s highest civilian honor. In 2024, he was inducted into Canada\u2019s Walk of Fame in recognition of his lasting impact on sport and inclusion in Canada and around the world. One of the honors most dear to Dr. Hayden came in 2013, when the Halton District School Board named Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School in his honor.<\/p><p>Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Dr. Frank Hayden.<\/p><p>A celebration of life in memory of Dr. Frank Hayden and his wife Marion, who passed away in 2024, will be held on June 19 at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School in Burlington, Ontario.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsfh.com\/memorials\/francis-hayden\/5713693\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.smithsfh.com\/memorials\/francis-hayden\/5713693\/<\/a><\/p><p>In collaboration with Special Olympics Canada<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5822026 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5822026\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Partagez...<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d22e41f elementor-share-buttons--shape-rounded elementor-share-buttons--view-icon-text elementor-share-buttons--skin-gradient elementor-grid-0 elementor-share-buttons--color-official elementor-widget 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Hayden, one of the great pioneers in the advancement, promotion&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nouvelles-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the Special Olympics movement, has passed away - Olympiques sp\u00e9ciaux Qu\u00e9bec<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/olympiquesspeciauxquebec.ca\/en\/dr-frank-hayden-founder-of-the-special-olympics-movement-has-passed-away\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the Special Olympics movement, has passed away - Olympiques sp\u00e9ciaux Qu\u00e9bec\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Special Olympics Quebec community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Francis \u201cFrank\u201d J. 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