November 6, 2024

Serene Nest

taking care of your health, Our Mission

Special Olympics program provides health care, education for athletes

Special Olympics program provides health care, education for athletes

Article content

Athletes competing in the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games Calgary 2024 will have their health and well-being thoroughly looked after for the entire week at the Telus Convention Centre.

The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program was first established in 1997, and this week, all 800 athletes competing in the Calgary Games will be offered health screenings and education.

Article content

There are eight categories offered: physical exam, vision, audiology, dentistry, nutrition, podiatry, physical therapy, and emotional health.

Jason Daoust, physiotherapist and clinical director for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes screening, said the two main areas of focus for the program are physical functioning and fitness.

“So, we assess athletes in areas of flexibility, aerobic capacity, balance, and strength; we take them through a series of measures within each of those areas, and then we take those measures and identify potential areas of need, or deficits.”

Daoust said the health-care professionals then engage with the athletes and their coaches with advice, education, and ideas of what they can do to address any areas of concern.

“So this might relate to reducing the risk of injury, reducing the risk of the development of long-term muscular scalable problems, or, more practically, some tips on how addressing these things might improve their performance in their sport.”

Special Olympics program provides health care, education for athletes
Team Alberta gives out high fives during the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games Calgary 2024 Bowling competition at the Bowling Depot in Calgary on Thursday, February 29, 2024. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

The clinical director said people with special needs often face barriers to accessing appropriate health care at the right time for a variety of reasons.

Article content

“A lot of it does have to do with a lack of awareness and familiarity amongst health-care providers,” he said, adding that there are also stigmas attached to how individuals with intellectual disabilities may be treated within the system.

“I think there’s also a lack of awareness amongst the members of this population in terms of what they can access, what they should access, and how to best address their needs.”

All in all, Daoust said the program is well-received by the athletes, their families, and coaches.

“It’s a lot of enthusiasm, and everyone is really appreciative of it.”

He said that the success of the program relies on volunteers — health-care professionals and students ranging from kinesiology, physiotherapy, and nursing.

“By providing them with this experience, they’re developing the skills and the comfort of working with this population, building that familiarity, and hopefully an informed practice going forward.”

Recommended from Editorial

Share this article in your social network

link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © All rights reserved. | Newsphere by AF themes.