Healthy Athletes®
Providing Health Services for the Most Underserved
The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® program offers health services and information to athletes in dire need. In the process, Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities.
Special Olympics Michigan has been participating in Healthy Athletes® initiative for many years and strives to give our athletes health screenings and information about their health. Athletes are able to participate in all or some of the health screenings at State Basketball Finals, State Summer Games, State Fall Games, the November Classic, and State Winter Games, as well as at select regional and local events.
Health Reports
Vision screening, refractive testing, glasses fabrication, and sunglasses and protective eyewear. (Summer Games)
Dental screenings, education about proper brushing and flossing and the importance of diet to oral hygiene, mouth guards for contact sports, and referrals to community providers for necessary dental care. (Poly Hockey, Summer Games) 
Surveys general exercise habits, assess flexibility, functional strength and balance and aerobic fitness, provides education about home exercises to improve performance, and facilitates community referrals as needed. (Fall Games, Summer Games).
Screenings of hearing acuity, custom swim earplugs, minor hearing aid repairs, consultations on hearing aids and noisy environments, and recommendations for medical or audiological evaluations. (Summer Games) 
Evaluations of the skin, nails, bones and joints of the feet, examinations of the function of the feet and gait, and examinations of athletes' socks and shoes. (State Basketball Finals, Summer Games)
Free screening that offers health information and advice in the areas of nutrition, sun safety, bone density, tobacco cessation and physical fitness. Health Promotion is designed to convey and reinforce key concepts on health living, health lifestyle choices, and nation-specific health issues. (Winter Games, Summer Games)
The MedFest program recruits volunteer physicians to provide the required physical examinations for people who wish to register in Special Olympics. (Winter Games, Summer Games)
Interactive learning activities focused on developing adaptive coping skills such as: thinking positive thoughts, releasing stress, breathing exercises, and connecting with others. 
