A moving tribute took place at the Stade Louis II on Saturday, October 18, as Monaco honoured the late Mireille Calmes, founder of Special Olympics Monaco and a tireless advocate for inclusion through sport. The stadium’s school gymnasium will now bear her name, a permanent reminder of her four decades of dedication.
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene, alongside Minister of State Christophe Mirmand and Special Olympics Monaco President Pierre Van Klaveren, unveiled the commemorative plaque during an emotional ceremony attended by the Calmes family and dozens of Special Olympics athletes.
Special Olympics Monaco has enabled countless local athletes to compete on the international stage since its creation, promoting teamwork, confidence, and perseverance. Princess Charlene, who has served as Honorary President since 2012, continues to champion that mission with characteristic enthusiasm.
Mireille Calmes, who passed away in 2021, established the Monegasque branch of Special Olympics in 1984, making Monaco one of the first European nations to join the global movement. For 34 years, until 2018, she led the organisation with an unshakeable belief that sport could empower people with intellectual disabilities to realise their full potential.
Her vision has since become a cornerstone of Monaco’s commitment to inclusion and community spirit. Many of the athletes she inspired were present at the ceremony, celebrating not just a name above a door, but a legacy that continues to change lives. The newly renamed Mireille Calmes Gymnasium now stands as both a tribute and an invitation, a space where future generations can continue her work, proving that sport, at its best, unites, uplifts, and transforms.
Image courtesy of Communications Department
