Dr Tim Shriver is a great man with an even greater history.

He is the global chairman of the Special Olympics and the co-chairman of the National Commission of Social and Emotional Learning.

Dr Shriver is also US President John F. Kennedy’s nephew. His mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics and he has continued her work.

Dr Shriver tells Chris Smith his mother was inspired to make a change after seeing how her own intellectually disabled sister, Rosemary, was treated.

“She saw firsthand the injustice, ignorance, indifference.

“She grew up angry about injustice because she could see the pain it caused to her own mother, her own sister and of course to her brothers and her as well.

“She saw that you could become a runner, a jumper, a striker, a swimmer… those labels could suddenly but very quickly allow an average person to rethink everything.

“They almost all come from the greatest adversity. And yet when they come together the world looks as good as it possibly could.”

Click PLAY below for the full interview

 Dr Shriver is in Australia ahead of the Special Olympics National Games in Adelaide in April.