Special Olympics Colorado offers a variety of Health & Wellness Programming, including:
Healthy Athletes
Upcoming Healthy Athletes Screenings
MedFest (FREE Sports Physicals) – Apt. Only
Athletes and Unified Partners are invited to attend MedFest and get FREE sports physicals by appointment only! To schedule your appointment, please contact Julie Collett – Executive Director of Denver Osteopathic Foundation at 303-996-1140. For any other questions, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (Opening Eyes) Screening at NE Basketball Tournament
Join us for the Opening Eyes Health Screening at the Northeast Basketball Tournament! The screenings will take place at the Racquetball Courts, the last time athletes can check into the screening is 2pm. To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (Strong Minds) Screenings at State Winter Games presented by United Airlines
Join us at State Winter Games presented by United Airlines for a Strong Minds session! Strong Minds sessions will take place in Ptarmigan A, in the Conference Center of the Center Village at Copper Mountain Resort. Strong Minds is all about providing education and tools for athletes to understand and better handle stress on and […]
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (Special Smiles) Screening Denver Region Basketball Tournament
Special Olympics Colorado athletes are encouraged to get a free dental screening at Special Smiles presented by Comfort Dental at the Denver Region Basketball Tournament! To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (Funfitness Screenings) at State Basketball Tournament
Join us at the State Basketball Tournament for FUNfitness health screenings! Screenings will take place inside between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The last call for athlete screenings is at 2:00 pm. To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (FUNfitness) at SE Spring Classic
Athletes and Unified Partners are invited to get free FUNfitness health screenings during the Southeast Spring Classic! Screenings will take place in the gym at Fort Carson High School. To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (Fit Feet) at Denver Region Track and Field
Athletes and Unified Partners are encouraged to attend the Healthy Athletes Fit Feet health screening that will be offered during the Denver Region Track and Field competition! To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Healthy Athletes (All but MedFest) Screenings at State Summer Games presented by Spectrum
Join us at State Summer Games for health screenings in Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Strong Minds! Screenings will take place in Dominguez Hall and on the Alumni Field at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. To learn more, please contact Leah Combs at lcombs@specialolympicsco.org.
Find out more »Through event-based screenings, Healthy Athletes works to:
- Make Referrals to Local Health Practitioners when Appropriate
- Train Health Care Professionals about the Needs and Care of People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Collect, Analyze and Disseminate Data on the Health Status and Needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Advocate for Improved Health Policies and Programs for People with Intellectual Disabilities
We Offer Health Examinations in Seven Disciplines:
- Fit Feet (podiatry)
- FUNfitness (physical therapy)
- Health Promotion (better health and well-being)
- Healthy Hearing (audiology)
- Medfest (sports physical exam)
- Opening Eyes (vision)
- Special Smiles (dentistry)
Get Involved:
- Become a Clinical Director (a medical volunteer who helps run health screenings)
- Become a Volunteer (a medical professional, student or someone not in the health field that would like to volunteer at a health screening)
Why is Special Olympics Involved in Health:
Research studies conducted by Special Olympics found disturbing evidence that individuals with intellectual disabilities face widespread health problems, while physicians, dentists and other health professionals are not receiving adequate training in order to treat them.
In a large study of Special Olympics athletes:
- 30% failed hearing tests
- 35% had untreated vision impairments
- 29% of males and 13% of females had below normal bone mineral density
- 50% had one or more foot diseases or conditions
To learn more about upcoming Healthy Athletes Screenings contact the Health and Wellness Coordinator, Leah Combs.
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