Shriver's legacy lives on through Best Buddies

The sun has yet to rise over the oak trees that line this windy road in Carmel Valley, a sleepy town in Northern California's wine country, when Anthony Kennedy Shriver steps on to a makeshift stage with his sister Maria Shriver while nearly 1,500 bicyclists watch from below. They are preparing to kick off the Audi Best Buddies Challenge, a 100-mile bike ride from Carmel down to San Simeon along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway to raise money and awareness for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

It has been a month since their mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away, but she is still seen and heard when Maria and Anthony speak about the cause that was their mother's lifeblood. Nearly 41 years ago, Eunice Kennedy At the first Special Olympics, Shriver spoke to a crowd of fewer than 100 people at Chicago's Soldier Field. She recited the words of Roman gladiators: Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt

As Maria Shriver stood in front of a larger audience gathered for the same cause, she recited a prayer that she reads every morning: God may I trust that I am exactly where I am meant to be today. May I believe in the infinite possibilities that are born from love and hope

The two quotes have come to define what the Special Olympics and Best Buddies represent. While the Special Olympics have re-shaped the world's view of the intellectually challenged through sports, Best Buddies has taken that cause a step further by nurturing relationships that last long after the competition is over.

The idea for Best Buddies, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, came to Anthony while he was at Georgetown University helping his mother with the Special Olympics. "I grew up around the Special Olympics and a lot of the Special Olympics games I would go to when I was a kid took place on college campuses," he said. "So the college would host it for two or three days and the college kids would be very involved and volunteer. And then when the games were over, everyone would go home. I would often think, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could have this throughout the year?'"

As amazing as the Special Olympics made the athletes feel during the competition, Shriver wanted a way to make that feeling last year-round. He wanted the volunteers that hugged the athletes at the finish line to become their friends and hug them after class or after a hard day. He wanted them to help them find jobs, help them become leaders in the community and show others what they could do if given a chance, not just on the playing field but in everyday life.

In 1987, at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute in Washington, D.C., Shriver started a volunteer program that was a precursor to Best Buddies. It paired university students with people with intellectual disabilities of similar age. Two years later, he founded Best Buddies, which has grown from one chapter to more than 1,400 on middle school, high school and college campuses worldwide -- all with the same goal to enhance the lives of the mentally disabled by providing friendships and integrated employment.

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Sitting on the front lawn of the Senator's House on the Hearst Ranch in San Simeon after the race, Anthony Shriver is thinking about his mother as he looks at his 15-year-old daughter Eunice taking pictures of him. "My mom loved this event because it was a celebration of life and people with intellectual disabilities and the enormous talent they have," he said. "We're here because of her and my family is committed and passionate about this issue because of her inspiration and passion to change lives one at a time. I just want to continue to share her with everyone and continue her legacy."

Anthony Shriver's passion for the cause came long before he understood what the cause was. He vividly remembers swimming with his mentally challenged aunt Rosemary Kennedy and being shocked at how well she could swim. "She was someone who was severely challenged, but she was the best swimmer in the whole family," said Anthony. "She had 24-hour-a-day care, she couldn't go to the bathroom on her own, she couldn't get out of bed on her own, she couldn't eat on her own, she couldn't do anything on her own. So, as a little kid, I didn't think she could do anything but when jumped into the pool she was equal to all of us. That always resonates in my mind that every person has a certain talent and gift from God and our challenge is to figure out what that gift is and celebrate it, support it and showcase it."