Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci

“Having been a part of the Special Olympics at the international level for so many years we are often reminded of the critical global need for new ways to think about early education and intervention. We have seen PlayWisely in action with our own son and believe in its potential to help all children particularly those with special needs.”

Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci are Gymnastics Icons. They are married and have a 3 year old son, Dylan Paul Conner. Bart Conner was the only American Gymnast to win Gold Medals at every level of competition, including Junior National, Elite National, NCAA, Pan American Games, World Championships and Olympic Games where he won 2 Golds in 1984. Bart Conner was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. He is a Member of the Special Olympics International Executive Committee where he has served for the past 25 years. He has also served as Board Member/Vice President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1983.

Nadia Comaneci made history in 1976 when she scored the first Perfect 10 in Olympic history. She has won 9 Olympic medals--5 of them Gold. She was selected as the Athlete of the 20th century by World Sports Awards. She also was picked as one of the 100 most influential women of the century by Sports Illustrated and Ladies Home Journal. She has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Special Olympics International Executive Committee for the past 9 years and has served as the Vice Chair the past 6 years. Nadia also serves as Vice President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was a founder of the Laureus International Sports for Good Foundation.