Are You A Healthy Athlete? Download Are You a Healthy Athlete? (Adobe PDF, 4.2MB) a booklet designed to educate Special Olympics athletes on being and staying healthy, and to encourage participation in Healthy Athletes screenings. Are You A Healthy Athlete? is a booklet designed to enhance participation in Healthy Athletes® screenings held during Special Olympics competitions. It also educates Special Olympics athletes on being healthy and staying healthy, so they can do their very best in training, sports and competition. It has been distributed to Special Olympics athletes at various competitions, including World Games, since 2002. Are You A Healthy Athlete? was created by two former Special Olympics athletes, Kester Edwards and Reneé Dease; both currently are employed by Special Olympics at the movement's Washington, D.C., headquarters. The idea for the booklet came from Edwards, who said, "I knew that there were many athletes like me who had difficulties when it came to reading, so I suggested that the booklet have lots of pictures and words that were easy to understand." "Are You a Healthy Athlete? is an exceptional resource for athletes of all ages and ability levels that need and want to improve their overall wellness."       — Jon Buzby, Special Olympics Delaware (USA) coach Because of Edwards and Dease's experiences and knowledge of Special Olympics, they were able to develop appropriate content for the booklet. Using colorful illustrations to help convey its message, the booklet is highly visual, which enhances its appeal and encourages participation. The booklet has been translated into multiple languages, and is also available in a CD-ROM version featuring voice characterizations by Special Olympics' athletes and headquarters staff. Coaches and athletes share their enthusiasm for the publication. Special Olympics District of Columbia athlete Ricardo Thornton said, "Every Special Olympics family should have a copy of this booklet so they can work with their children towards becoming fit and healthy athletes." Special Olympics Delaware coach Jon Buzby agrees. "Are You a Healthy Athlete? is an exceptional resource for athletes of all ages and ability levels that need and want to improve their overall wellness," he said. For more information on Are You a Healthy Athlete?, contact David Evangelista, Associate Director, Health Programs, +1 (202) 824- 0341 or devangelista@specialolympics.org. National Health Information Award Winner  In 2003 Are You A Healthy Athlete? was selected as a winner in the prestigious 10th annual National Health Information Awards. The awards recognize the nation's best consumer health information programs and materials. Pictured from left are Are You A Healthy Athlete? authors Reneé Dease and Kester Edwards, accompanied by Courtney Pastorfield, Manager, Health Promotion; David Evangelista, Manager, Healthy Athletes; and Dr. Stephen Corbin, Dean, Special Olympics University. On 13 November 2002, the Are You a Healthy Athlete? booklet was presented as part of a poster session for the American Public Health Association meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Edwards and Dease, represented Special Olympics and Healthy Athletes with the authenticity of subject-matter authors. "This is a proud beginning for our athletes around the world, as this booklet will help build awareness for their own health and also help to build a certain comfort level with what the Healthy Athletes initiative is," Dease explained to an interested attendee.      The Are You a Healthy Athlete? booklet was accepted into the Disabilities Forum poster session, which saw posters presenting research on a variety of different issues, many of which were directly applicable to the work of Healthy Athletes. Reaching beyond solely research, Healthy Athletes is committed to proactively distributing the booklet at athlete-based clinical screenings in order to increase awareness of the importance of overall health and fitness. Upon hearing of the award, Dr. Stephen Corbin, Dean of Special Olympics University (who also oversaw the creation of the booklet), remarked, "It's such an honor to receive this award. Since its inception, Are You A Healthy Athlete? has helped thousands of Special Olympics athletes learn more about proper health and nutrition. And the fact that two former Special Olympics athletes helped to create it is yet another strong testimony to the abilities of those with intellectual disabilities." The National Health Information Awards program is coordinated by the Health Information Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for consumer health information programs and materials. The Center, which houses a large collection of such public and private sector materials, promotes the distribution of accurate, timely consumer health information materials to professionals and managers in the field.