A unique opportunity for Special Olympics Idaho athletes has just come to light. The Healthy Athletes Initiative for the 2009 World Winter Games will be available to ALL Special Olympics Idaho athletes!

 

Idaho athletes are encouraged to take advantage of free medical screenings and health education by going to the Boise State University Student Union building between Tues., Feb. 10, 2009 and Thurs., Feb. 12, 2009, 4pm to 9pm.

By listening to athletes at events and conducting research over many years, Special Olympics leaders became aware of the lack of quality health care for people with intellectual disabilities and found it unacceptable. They found that people with intellectual disabilities have a 40 percent greater risk for health issues, and that health care professionals are not trained in or experienced with caring for people with intellectual disabilities.
 
Called into action, they began exploring ways to solve the problem using Special Olympics' unique global reach to people with intellectual disabilities. The result was the launch of the Healthy Athletes® initiative in 1997.

 

Today, Healthy Athletes provides health screenings free of charge at all major Special Olympics competitions. In Idaho, all athletes have access to health screenings at our state-levels games throughout the year. The screenings are offered in a welcoming, fun environment where athletes are educated about healthy lifestyle choices and problems that may need additional follow-up are identified.

 

The Healthy Athletes initiative that accompanies the 2009 World Winter Games is unique in that it will be able to provide all aspects of the program at one place and time.