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Healthy Athletes™

Health Promotion

The mission of the Special Olympics Health Promotion program is to improve the quality and length of life for Special Olympics athletes through healthy behaviors. Within the Healthy Athletes Health Promotion program, health professionals provide health screenings, interactive educational tools and motivational health information.

The main objectives of Health Promotion are to: encourage and enhance healthy behaviors; reduce risky behaviors; improve self-efficacy and self-advocacy; and increase the investment of health promotion leaders for people with intellectual disabilities.

Health Promotion is one of the few Healthy Athletes disciplines that encourages its Clinical Directors to be responsive to his/her community and to develop his/her own program beyond the core Health Promotion areas. This flexibility was designed to encourage Health Promotion activities which will effectively meet the health needs of all athletes worldwide. In order to evaluate the health of athletes and the health of our program, and to provide necessary resources to Clinical Directors across the world,

Healthy Athletes Health Promotion focuses on the following core health areas:

  • Nutrition/Hydration;
  • Bone Health;
  • Sun Safety;
  • Tobacco Avoidance and Cessation; and
  • Physical Activity

Additional health topics have included: hygiene and sanitation; sleep deprivation; food and water-borne illness; cardiovascular health; and night safety.

Athletes can have their bone mineral density, body mass index and blood pressure taken at a Special Olympics Wisconsin Health Promotion event. Nurses, dieticians and health educators teach athletes about nutrition, bone health, sun safety, smoking cessation and the importance of exercise. Follow up letters are sent to athletes' guardians if a concerning blood pressure or bone mineral density are discovored.

2012Health Promotion Event Dates

  • June 8, 2012 - Summer Games at UW Stevens Point
  • August 4, 2012 - Outdoor Sports Tournament in Eau Claire

Health Promotion Medical Advisor

  • Leah Ederer, MD

Clinical Directors

  • Judy Stych, BS, RN, CDDN
  • Linda Peterson, RD, CD, MPH

More Information

Visit the Special Olympics Inc. Healthy Athletes Page

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Special Olympics Health Promotion Training

For more information on the Healthy Athletes Program, contact

Melissa Schoenbrodt
Phone: 608-442-5676
E-mail: mschoenbrodt@specialolympicswisconsin.org