The mission of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®, developed in 1996, is to improve athletes' ability to train and compete in Special Olympics. Healthy Athletes is designed to help Special Olympics athletes improve their health and fitness, leading to enhanced sports experience and improved well-being. • More than 250 Healthy Athletes screening events were conducted in 2003 in 48 U.S. states and 55 countries in seven global regions • More than 55,000 athletes received some type of health screening and education in 2003 • More than 475 health care professionals have been trained as state and country coordinators • More than 7,500 health care professionals have experienced the joy and reward of Special Olympics. Related Items   The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes newsletter provides the reader with information about the Healthy Athletes initiative. PDF versions for download are available at the bottom of this page. The Special Olympics booklet Are You A Healthy Athlete? was selected as a winner in the prestigious 10th annual National Health Information Awards. Authored by Special Olympics athletes Kester Edwards and Renee Dease, it's designed to educate Special Olympics athletes on being and staying healthy, and to encourage participation in Healthy Athletes screenings.      Download our Are You a Healthy Athlete? booklet, Adobe PDF, 827K In May 2004, Special Olympics Texas (USA) became the first state program to provide all six components of the Healthy Athletes® Initiative: Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Opening Eyes® and Special Smiles®. At the Summer Games, more than 350 athletes registered to participate in the screenings, while health care professionals from across the state provided health and fitness screenings and service for two days. The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Initiative includes these disciplines: • Fit Feet • Healthy Hearing • FUNfitness • Opening Eyes® • Health Promotion • Special Smiles® During a Healthy Athletes event, Special Olympics athletes receive a variety of health screenings and services in a series of clinics conducted in a welcoming, fun environment. Health care professionals and students are trained to provide the screenings in an effort to educate the professional community about the health needs and abilities of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The health data (Betterhealth Global Ltd. is creating a Web-based software application called Healthy Athletes Software system, HAS, electronically capturing screening data across the Healthy Athletes disciplines) gathered at events are important for planning, programs, gaining support, improving policies and research. Data from the Healthy Athletest venues are being entered into this Web-based system to constitute the largest database of health data in existence. Healthy Athletes Objectives The key objectives of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes are: Improve access and health care for Special Olympics athletes at event-based health screenings Make referrals to local health practitioners when appropriate Train health care professionals and students in the health professions about the needs and care of people with intellectual disabilities Collect, analyze and dessiminate data on the health status and needs of people with intellectual disabilities Advocate for improved health policies and programs for person with intellectual disabilities. The success of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes events depends on partnering. Special Olympics program staff support the work of trained Healthy Athletes volunteers to provide even based health opportunities for athletes. Event managers create an environment for positive interaction between health care professionals, other volunteers, and Special Olympics athletes and their families. Products, equipment and cash donations from local, national and international companies help to support the program. Financial support of governmental and philanthropic sponsors helps the program grow. Support of the volunteer opportunities offered by Special Olympics Healthy Athletes provides ongoing community network for improved access to health care for Special Olympics athletes — creating a legacy of care. < Find a Healthy Athletes Health Care Provider or Sign Up as a Provider > < Encuentre un abastecedor sano del cuidado médico de los atletas o firme para arriba como abastecedor > Betterhealth Global Holdings Ltd and Special Olympics officially announced their global five-year partnership 13 November 2003, a major advance for Special Olympics, enabling real-time electronic management of athlete medical information from around the world. Learn more about the Web-based software application Healthy Athletes Software system. < Learn more about starting a local  Healthy Athletes program >  • Download details on the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative,  (Poster presented at the AAMR annual meeting 1-4 June 2004, Adobe PDF, 145K): A New Paradigm for the Delivery of Health and Wellness Services for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. • Download Adobe PDF versions of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes newsletter: