Healthy Athletes are Happier Athletes
Special Olympics Florida is best known for its sports training and competitions, but we are equally committed to ensuring our athletes have access to high quality healthcare. With the help of health professionals across the state, we conduct thousands of free screenings each year and, when a problem is found, help connect athletes with medical providers.
Here are three recent examples:
- During a Unified Champion Schools screening in Lake County, an athlete was found to have a painful, infected toe by Clinical Director Joanne Balkaran. She recommended an urgent follow-up with a podiatrist. Our athlete was subsequently seen and treated with antibiotics.
- At a Healthy Hearing screening in Columbia County, an Alachua County athlete was diagnosed with a fungal infection by Clinical Director Emily Gaines. The athlete was then connected to a healthcare provider and prescribed medication which, according to the athlete’s mother, eliminated the infection.
- In Orange County, a 12-year-old athlete attended a Special Smiles clinic. This young girl had never had a dental checkup – the procedure had always seemed too intimidating to her. But as our volunteers demonstrated proper brushing on a collection of stuffed animals, she was intrigued. She watched and began copying their actions. That opened a door, and soon the athlete was allowing clinic volunteers to examine her teeth – for the first time ever.
All three cases highlight the crucial role Special Olympics Florida’s health programs play in helping our athletes lead happier, healthier, lives.