Find out about the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programme.
What is Healthy Athletes?
Healthy Athletes is an initiative designed to support the well-being of Special Olympics athletes. It offers free health checks at major Special Olympics events like the National Summer games. These health checks are done by medical professionals who volunteer their time.
What kind of health checks are included in Healthy Athletes?
There are several programmes within Healthy Athletes that focus on specific parts of the body and health topics.
Fit Feet – You can get your feet and ankles checked. Foot specialists look at how you walk and run and provide the proper shoe and sock gear for you to perform at your best.
Opening Eyes – Special Olympics athletes can get free eye exams, prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and even prescription sports goggles.
Healthy Hearing – You can get your hearing checked to help detect any ear problems or hearing loss.
Special Smiles – Dental professionals will check your teeth and give you tips on the best ways care for them. The also provide sport mouth guards for athletes competing in contact sports.
Health Promotion – This is a fun and interactive general health and wellness programme. Health professionals provide education on healthy living and lifestyle choices. They also check things like blood pressure, bone density (how strong and solid your bones are), and body mass index (a test to see if a person has a healthy body weight for their height).
Why Healthy Athletes matters
People with intellectual disabilities often face challenges accessing good healthcare. They often have more healthcare needs than the general population, have trouble accessing the specialist care they need, and sometimes don’t realise that they’re unwell and need to get checked out.
Healthy Athletes works to overcome these challenges by detecting and treating health issues early, educating athletes on healthy habits, and referring athletes to specialists when needed.
Become a Healthy Athletes volunteer
If you’re a healthcare professional who wants to volunteer for the Healthy Athletes initiative, you can contact Special Olympics New Zealand at haps@specialolympics.org.nz. They would love to hear from you.
Find out more about Healthy Athletes on the Special Olympics website.