Competing in sports at your highest potential takes more than just hard work and determination. It also requires a healthy lifestyle outside of the office, as well as reliable access to healthcare. As the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics recognizes this need. Through its work, Special Olympics promotes inclusion in healthcare, wellness and healthcare systems.
One key mechanism for improving the health of Special Olympics athletes is… Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® initiative, first started in 1997. Through free health screenings, it keeps athletes informed about components of a healthy lifestyle and provides a welcoming, fun and educational environment.
“Health screenings help identify opportunities and challenges that impact athletes’ performance in sports competitions. Too often, health problems are wrongly attributed directly to the person’s diagnosis intellectual disability [ID]”, Tom Quade, Senior Director of Health for Special Olympic Games North Americasaid about the importance of the health initiative. “Diagnostic overshadowing is a process by which health professionals incorrectly assume that physical or emotional symptoms are a result of the patient’s intellectual disability.”
And while a common misconception is that people with intellectual disabilities have better or cheaper health care, the opposite is true. These individuals often receive substandard care or virtually no health care at all. The impact of Special Olympics health screenings extends far and wide, identifying even undiagnosed health conditions and providing an unparalleled opportunity to educate and identify areas of growth in partnership with health professionals.
“Cultural beliefs, stigma and discrimination can significantly limit access for people with intellectual disabilities,” Quade continued. “Having laws and policies that protect their rights to health, education and necessary services is essential to ensure healthcare equity for people with intellectual disabilities. When people with intellectual disabilities have access to health care, education, employment, sports and other avenues to achieve full participation in society, they are healthier as a result.”
Since 1997, Special Olympics has provided more than 2 million free health screenings and trained nearly 300,000 health professionals and students to treat people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics offers nine disciplines for healthy athletes, including MedFest (history and physical exam), Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® (vision/eye health), Healthy Hearing (audiology), Special Smiles (dentistry), Health Promotion (prevention and nutrition), Strong Minds (emotional health), FUNfitness (physiotherapy), Fit Feet (podology) and Healthy Young Athletes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, screenings of healthy athletes were significantly reduced. In 2020, only 3,703 athletes were screened in the United States, leaving many athletes missing out on this crucial preventive health option. As in-person activities resumed, so did screenings of healthy athletes. Since 2023, the number of showings has continued to grow every year, especially in North America.
The majority of Healthy Athletes screenings take place at major competitive events throughout the year, and in the United States, one of the largest vehicles for screenings is the annual Summer Games, held across all 52 U.S. programs.
In 2025, a total of 19,567 athletes were screened in the United States during the Summer Games. In the Special Smiles discipline, 5,062 athletes were screened at 63 events, 1,961 athletes in the Strong Minds discipline at 27 events and 2,737 athletes in the Healthy Hearing discipline at 50 national events.
“The reality is that many of our athletes come to practices and games in pain or having trouble seeing or hearing their teammates due to health conditions that affect their vision or hearing. Other chronic health conditions that go undiagnosed or untreated can put athletes at increased risk for injuries or potential medical emergencies,” Quade said, hoping the number of screenings continues to grow.
The efforts and initiatives made possible by Special Olympics create more reliable health care options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As athletes attend Healthy Athletes screenings at various events throughout the year, interactions with healthcare providers are the driving force behind creating and continuing better healthcare.
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