Fit Feet

Fit Feet is one of the newest Healthy Athlete disciplines, developed through Special Olympics' collaboration with the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) and the Federation of International Podiatrists (FIP). This program was founded to evaluate problems of the feet, ankles, lower extremity biomechanics, as well as checking for proper shoe and sock gear. Many Special Olympics athletes suffer from foot and ankle pain or deformities that impair their performance. Also, athletes are not always fitted with the best shoes and socks for their particular sport. Volunteer health care professionals screen athletes' feet and ankles for deformities, and also check for proper shoes and socks. They are provided with community referrals as needed and athletes, coaches and families are educated on the proper shoes and socks. A series of pamphlets to provide guidance on general foot care have been developed with Special Olympics athletes in mind and are available at each Fit Feet screening. For more information on Fit Feet, contact Martin Wisor at +1 (202) 824-0378 or mwisor@specialolympics.org .

Healthy Hearing

Reduced hearing can have a significant negative impact upon a Special Olympics athlete's ability to respond to directions in training, as well as understand other oral information from coaches, trainers and judges. The safety of the athlete also can be impeded by a hearing loss, as can the athlete's interpersonal relationships. Screening of hearing is the first step in the process of identifying an athlete's hearing loss and preventing its negative effects from occurring in sporting and social events.

Healthy Hearing provides a screening for the athletes, and notifies athletes and their coaches if follow-up care is needed. This program also provides corrective (hearing aids) and preventative (custom swim earplugs) services where possible, and studies the prevalence of hearing loss in athletes competing in Special Olympics events. For more information on Healthy Hearing, contact Martin Wisor at +1 (202) 824-0378 or mwisor@specialolympics.org . 

FUNfitness

FUNfitness is the comprehensive physical therapy component of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative. FUNfitness is designed to:

  • assess and improve flexibility, 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

During a FUNfitness screening, volunteer physical therapists, assistants, and students assess the flexibility and functional strength of Special Olympics athletes' muscles as well as overall balance. The program also provides "take-away" educational materials for Special Olympics athletes and information for families and coaches about the importance of and methods to improve flexibility, functional strength and balance in sports performance and activities of daily living.

For more information on FUNfitness, contact Shantae Polk, +1 (202) 824-0239 or spolk@specialolympics.org .  

Health Promotion

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. Health screenings conducted during the last three Special Olympics World Games showed that many athletes were overweight or obese—trends that are directly linked with higher rates of diabetes and heart disease.

Additionally, surveys of Special Olympics coaches worldwide report a consensus that athletes are in need of fitness training above and beyond what they receive during sports practice. Health Promotion offers guides for healthy eating, lifestyle choices and fun ways to increase physical fitness. Health Promotion seeks to find the best ways to convey and reinforce key concepts and information to people with intellectual disabilities and has interacted with thousands of Special Olympics athletes at Games and in local communities. The objectives of Health Promotion are to:

  • Improve long-term health outcomes for Special Olympics athletes by giving them the information, encouragement, and facilities they need to sustain physical fitness and healthy lifestyle choices (health screenings at Games include body mass index and bone mineral density measurements)
  • Improve the quality of life and self-image of athletes
  • Provide the athletes the means by which they can work to better their own health and wellbeing
  • Allow more people with intellectual disabilities to participate in Special Olympics and to retain those athletes who are currently active

For more information on Health Promotion, contact Heather Driscoll at +1 (202) 715-1149 or hdriscoll@specialolympics.org . 

Opening Eyes®

Opening Eyes® is one of seven initiatives that make up the Healthy Athlete Program. The mission of Opening Eyes® is to improve the quality of life for millions of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities by optimizing their vision, eye health and visual skills through quality eye care. The goals for Opening Eyes® includes providing screenings to Special Olympics athletes, educating athletes, parents and coaches about the importance of regular eye care; educating and changing attitudes of eye care professionals about the vision care needs of persons with intellectual disabilities worldwide; and increasing knowledge of the visual and eye health needs of persons with intellectual disabilities through research.  For more information on Opening Eyes®, contact David Evangelista at +1 (202) 824-0341 or devangelista@specialolympics.org . 

MedFest

MedFest is one of the elements of the Healthy Athlete Program. MedFest screens current and prospective Special Olympics athletes for required standard sports physical examinations. Examinations are performed by volunteer medical professionals who check the athlete's registration and assessments of medical history, height, weight and blood pressure, and perform cardiovascular, abdominal and musculoskeletal evaluations. MedFest also administers follow-up care, as well as referrals and check-out while addressing questions and concerns of athletes' parents and/or guardians.  For more information on MedFest, contact Heather Driscoll at +1 (202) 715-1149 or hdriscoll@specialolympics.org .   

Special Smiles®

The mission of Special Smiles® is to increase access to dental care for Special Olympics athletes, as well as all people with intellectual disabilities. Special Smiles® uses dental screenings to increase awareness of the state of athletes' oral health for the athletes themselves, as well as their parents and/or caregivers. At a Special Smiles screening, Special Olympics athletes are provided with hygiene education to help ensure they are doing an adequate job of brushing and flossing, a "goody bag" containing toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, nutritional education to understand how their diet affects their total health, a list of dentists/clinics in their area who will treat patients with special needs (should they have difficulty finding a dentist) and a free mouth guard (at most locations) for those athletes competing in contact or high-risk sports.  For more information on Special Smiles®, contact Shantae Polk, +1 (202) 824-0239 or spolk@specialolympics.org .