Healthy Athletes
Healthy Athletes is a worldwide health program through which Special Olympics volunteers and partners improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities and address health conditions such as chronic pain, disease, blindness, hearing loss, and shortened life span that needlessly affect this under-served population.
What Makes Up Healthy Athletes?
There are eight Healthy Athlete screening areas:
Under the Fit Feet program, volunteer health care professionals screen athletes’ feet and ankles for deformities, skin, and nail problems, and also check for proper shoes and socks. Clinicians make community referrals as needed and athletes, coaches, and families are educated on the proper shoes and socks.
Clinician Requirements: Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Currently offered by SOSD
This is the comprehensive physical therapy component of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative. FUNfitness is designed to assess and improve flexibility, stamina, functional strength and balance, educate participants, families, and coaches about the importance of flexibility, strength, and balance, and provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to learn about physical therapy.
Clinician Requirements: Licensed Physical Therapist
Currently offered by SOSD
Perhaps the basis of all components of Special Olympics Healthy Ahtletes, Health Promotion seeks to find the best ways to convey and reinforce key concepts and information to participants. Health Promotion venues empower and motivate athletes to make healthy lifestyle choices that will improve their long-term health by using interactive educational games and literature. Athletes are offered guides for healthy eating, sun safety, smoking cessation, lifestyle choices, and fun ways to increase physical fitness.
Clinician Requirements: Dietician, Physician, Nurse, PT, Health Educator
The purpose of Healthy Hearing is to screen the hearing of athletes and notify athletes and their coaches if follow-up care is needed. Healthy Hearing venues may also provide corrective (hearing aids) and preventative (custom swim earplugs) services where possible, and study the prevalence of hearing loss in athletes competing in Special Olympics events.
Clinician Requirements: Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
Currently offered by SOSD
At a Special Smiles screening, Special Olympics athletes are provided with hygiene education, a “goody-bag” containing toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, nutritional education, and a free mouth guard.
Clinician Requirements: Licensed Dentist or Dental Hygienist
Currently offered by SOSD
The mission of Special Olympics – Lions Club International Opening Eyes is to improve the quality of life for the millions of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities by health and visual skills through quality eye care. Under the Opening Eyes program, extensive vision screenings are conducted. Athletes are then provided with free prescription eye glasses, sport wear glasses, and sunglasses as warranted.
Clinician Requirements: Vision Care Professional, Licensed Optometrist or Ophthamologist
Medfest is a screening program that facilitates the required standard sports physical examination for current and prospective Special Olympics athletes.
Clinician Requirements: Medical Doctor, Physician
Strong Minds is an interactive learning activity focused on developing adaptive coping skills. Competition provides a natural opportunity to develop active strategies for maintaining emotional wellness under stress, such as: thinking positive thoughts, releasing stress and connecting with others. Athletes learn about and try a few different active coping strategies as they move through the stations. Before exiting, athletes identify the strategies they like best and volunteers provide them with visual reminders to use these tools in competition and in daily life.
Clinician Requirements: Psychologist, Licensed Counselor, Social Worker
Currently offered by SOSD
We currently conduct Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Healthy Hearing, Strong Minds, and Special Smiles clinics during our State Summer Games. We are actively working toward offering screenings in all eight Healthy Athlete areas.
Interested in getting involved with Healthy Athletes? Please contact Johna Thum at 605.331.4117 or jthum@sosd.org.
For more information, visit the Healthy Athletes page on the Special Olympics website.
Physical fitness is a key part of the Special Olympics mission. Fitness is more than training for a sports season, it means staying physically active and practicing good nutrition and hydration habits year-round and lifelong. Athletes and teams across the state have been putting in the time and effort to improve their health and fitness through our Fit 5 programming and clubs.
