Arnold Schwarzenegger's former brother-in-law, Timothy Shriver, just received the highest honors in American Catholic life. The University of Notre Dame awarded Shriver the 2026 Laetare Medal. On May 17, the medal was presented during Notre Dame’s 181st commencement ceremony.

The recognition prompted an emotional tribute from Shriver's sister and former Mrs. Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, who celebrated her brother’s achievement in a heartfelt Instagram post. 

“Oh my! What a joy it was to watch my brother @timothyshriver be awarded the Laetare Medal @notredame yesterday for his work.”

The Laetare medal is presented annually to people whose genius and service have enriched the arts and sciences, advanced the common good, and illustrated the ideals of the Catholic Church.

Shriver also reflected on the award’s deep family significance, noting that both their parents, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, and their uncle, President John F. Kennedy, had previously received the award.

Timothy Shriver is an educator, author, disability-rights advocate, and the chairman of Special Olympics. Notre Dame officials praised him for his work in these sectors, even stating that under his leadership, Special Olympics expanded exponentially. From one million athletes, it grew to more than four million athletes across 200 countries and territories.

Besides heading the Special Olympics, Shriver also co-founded UNITE, a nonprofit organization that aims to eradicate political polarization in the United States. He started working with the Special Olympics in 1991 when his father, Sargent, was the president and board member in the 1980s and 1990s. 

This medal is another feather in Shriver's illustrious cap. He has previously received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's degree in religion and religious education from the Catholic University of America in 1988.

But he is not the only one who has love for the Special Olympics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Defends Special Olympics in the Most Special Way

The 2017 Special Olympics were held in Arnold Schwarzenegger's home country, Austria. The bodybuilding legend was one of the sponsors of the event and promoted it heavily, especially through his social media pages.

During the event, Schwarzenegger posted a nice picture with the athletes. Unfortunately, the picture was subjected to a brutal comment by a user who wrote,  “The Special Olympics make no sense. The Olympics are for the best athletes in the world to compete against each other to determine who is the best. Having r****** competing is doing the opposite.”

Schwarzenegger looked offended by the comment and was quick to respond, and wrote, “As evil and stupid as this comment is, I’m not going to delete it or ban you (yet) because it’s a teachable moment."

Praising the participants, Schwarzenegger noted that the athletes have more passion, talent, and brains than anyone else. He also highlighted that comments like these lead to two paths, one filled with positivity and one with sadness.

What are your thoughts on Shriver’s accomplishments that landed him the honor?

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi