2012 Healthy Athletes Round-up and Looking Ahead

by

Healthy Athletes is a world wide program that was started by Special Olympics, Inc. The goal of Healthy Athletes is to take an assessment of the health of our athletes and hopefully get them connected with doctors in their local area. There are 6 disciplines within Healthy Athletes: Healthy Hearing , Health Promotion , Fit Feet, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Fun Fitness. We set up our program in Georgia to coincide with four of our State Competitions: Indoor Winter Games, Summer Games, Masters Bowling, and Fall Games.

Healthy Hearing: This is offered at Indoor Winter Games. Here, our volunteer Audiologists and Audiology students from the University of Georgia perform a basic hearing test on the athletes and let them know the condition of their hearing ability. This year we screened 64 athletes. Our next Healthy Hearing event will be held on January 26, 2013 in Marietta, GA.

Health Promotion: This offered at Indoor Winter Games as well. Here, volunteers from the Cobb County Health Department educate our athletes on proper hygiene, good eating habits, and the dangers of tobacco use. This past year we received a grant for a bone density scanner and we can now give athletes that information as well. This year we screened 60 athletes. Our next Health Promotion event will be held on January 26, 2013 in Marietta, GA.

Fit Feet: This is normally offered only at Summer Games, but in 2013 will also be offered at Indoor Winter Games. Here, Podiatrists from the Ankle and Foot Centers of Georgia perform a basic analysis of the athletes’ feet including gate analysis, proper shoe size and fit, and basic foot and skin care. This year we screened 110 athletes. Our next Fit Feet event will be held on January 26, 2013 and May 18, 2013.

Opening Eyes: This is offered at Summer Games. Here, Optometrists perform an eye exam on the athletes, and those in need are provided with free prescription glasses. The athletes get to pick out there new frames on site and then they are sent to Essilor Labs for lens cutting and assembly. The whole process takes about two months for the athletes to receive their new, free glasses. The local Lions Club is a big supporter of Opening Eyes and volunteers come to each event. This year we screened 160 athletes. 95 received free prescription glasses! Our next Opening Eyes event will be held on May 18, 2013.

Special Smiles: This is offered at both Summer Games and Masters Bowling. Here, Dentists who are part of the Georgi
a Dental Association and Dental students from the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta perform a basic dental check-up. If needed, we are equipped to provide on-site fluoride treatments, sealants, and mouth guards for competition. This year we screened 303 athletes at Summer Games with 72 sealants, 16 fluoride treatments, and 53 athletes receiving mouth guards. At Masters Bowling we screened 343 athletes with 289 receiving fluoride treatments. Our next Special Smiles event will be held on May 18, 2013 at Emory University.

Fun Fitness: This is offered at Fall Games. Here, Physical Therapists from Bench March Physical Therapy perform a basic analysis of our athletes’ physical fitness level. We measure things such as endurance and flexibility and we also educate the athletes on proper stretching techniques and eating habits to help them stay healthy and safe while competing. Last year we screened 101 athletes. Our next Fun Fitness event was  October 13 and stats will be released soon.

If you are interested in volunteering for any of our wonderful Healthy Athletes events throughout the year, please contact Stephen Sparks: 229-292-6955 or stephen.sparks@specialolympicsga.org.