ACE and Special Olympics International Extend Partnership to Advance Inclusive Fitness Education
Posted: January 6, 2026 in Suppliers
ACE
SAN DIEGO, CA – The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and Special Olympics International have announced the extension of their partnership to further promote inclusion and accessibility in fitness.
The continued collaboration focuses on promoting educational materials that prepare exercise professionals to design and deliver safe, effective physical activity programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
“ACE is committed to empowering exercise professionals with the education and tools they need to ensure that all people—including individuals with intellectual disabilities—have the opportunity to lead full, healthy lives with ready access to meaningful physical-activity options,” said ACE chief executive officer Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM. “We are honored to continue our partnership with Special Olympics and look forward to further expanding these essential resources to equip health and fitness professionals around the world.”
ACE and Special Olympics previously partnered on the “Special Olympics Inclusive Fitness Training,” a course to promote inclusion within the fitness industry. Nearly 23,500 individuals have registered for the course, which consistently receives strong reviews. One course participant noted, “Solid learning material to help me learn as a trainer working with persons with ID. Excellent info on communicating, presenting info and motivating. Thank you for offering this for free [sic] it was very helpful for me to be more inclusive.”
Melissa Otterbein, MPH, Director of Fitness & Healthy Lifestyles at Special Olympics International, added, “We’re thrilled to continue and grow our collaboration with ACE to develop innovative programs that meet the needs of people with IDD and build more inclusive, supportive communities.”
ACE and Special Olympics, have also partner and the Community Physical Activity Leader (CPAL) course, created in collaboration with Move To Live More. The CPAL course is a free, accessible resource that trains individuals with and without IDD to lead inclusive physical activity programs in their communities.
Approximately 1-3% of the global population (about 200 million people) has an intellectual disability (Patel, 2020). People with IDD often lead more sedentary lives and are less physically active compared to the general population. Individuals with IDD are at high risk for developing metabolic syndrome, overweight and obesity, and osteoporosis.
