Healthy Athletes® is presented by:

The State Summer Games will provide all competing athletes with free health services in seven disciplines: eye care, dental care, exercise coaching, hearing screenings, health education, foot care and general physicals. In addition athletes will have the opportunity to participate in Zumba, Rowing, the Michigan Chip program and TRAIN (Testing Recreational Activities and Improving Nutrition) program.

Healthy Athletes® is a Special Olympics initative designed to help Special Olympics athletes improve their health and fitness, which leads to enhanced sports experiences and improved well-being.

Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® was developed in 1997 to address health disparities that are more susceptible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The programs yields two-fold benefits. Athletes are given free professional health care, and health care professionals gain experience interacting with diverse patients increasing their ability to provide services to all patients.

"Unfortunately, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities often lack of access and the ability to pay for services," said Lois Arnold, SOMI President and CEO. "Healthy Athletes is a global initiative to improve the health of all people with intellectual disabilities. Today, 40 years after inception of Special Olympics, 180 countries around the world have Special Olympics programs. It's a worldwide movement to create inclusive communities and improve the lives of more than 3 percent of the world's population."

Each of the Healthy Athletes® programs are outlined below:

• Opening Eyes (1991) is an initiative by the World Council of Optometry and other sponsors who in partnership with SOMI screens intellectually disabled athletes and provides sports eye wear and dress eye wear at no charge to athletes or their families. At Summer Games in 2007, more than $100,000 of eye wear was given away.
• Special Smiles (1993) screens the teeth, gums, tongue and mouth and educates on correct brushing and flossing methods.
• FUNfitness (1999) surveys general exercise habits. Assessments are evaluated in flexibility, functional strength and balance. FUNfitness educates in home exercises to improve performance.
• Healthy Hearing (2000) screens hearing activity, creates custom swim plugs, makes minor repairs on hearing aids, consults on hearing aids and noisy environments and recommends medical or audiological evaluations.
• Heath Promotions (2000) empowers and motivates SOMI athletes to make good lifestyle choices that will improve their long-term health by using interactive games and literature. Health Promotion screens at the Games for body mass index and bone mass density measurements.
• Fit Feet (2003) evaluates the skin, nails, bones and joints of the feet, examines the function of the feel and gait, shoes and socks of the athletes.
• MedFest provides free, complete physicals.
• Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired dance fitness program.
• TRAIN (Testing Recreational Activities and Improving Nutrition) is a health assessment & educational program designed to assess sports skills & provide nutritional information. Athletes, families & volunteers go through a series of nutrition & sports skills stations. Family Forum is funded by the Lions Club, International.
• Rowing test athletes rowing skills.
• To Your Good Life gives nutritional advice to athletes and provides fresh fruit. Spartan Stores is proud to have a community health and wellness program, To Your Good Life.
• Michigan Chip is a comprehensive and confidential program used to generate child identification kits that are given to the parent to take home for safekeeping.

Schedule of Events:

• OPENING EYES® - Vision Screenings 
  Philip Irion, O.D. of Lansing, Project Chair
  Thursday.................1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
  Friday......................8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday..................8 a.m. - noon
  (eyeglass pick up until 1 p.m. on Saturday)

• SPECIAL SMILES® - Dental Screenings
  Margaret Gingrich and Karen Roth, On-Site Coordinators
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday..................9 a.m. - noon

• HEALTHY HEARING - Hearing Screenings
  Kate Glynn, On-Site Coordinator
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday..................9 a.m. - noon

• MEDFEST® - Free Medical Exams
  Nan Marie Fox, Susan Maliszewski & Medical Staff Volunteers
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday...................9 a.m. - noon

• FIT FEET - Foot Exams & Screenings
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday...................9 a.m. - noon

• HEALTH PROMOTIONS - Bone Density Testing
  Dr. James Hornyak
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday...................9 a.m. - noon

• FUNFITNESS - Physical Therapy Screenings
  Judy Baldinicho, PT
  Friday......................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday...................9 a.m. - noon
• TRAIN
  Family Forum Tent - behind the SAC
  Friday............................. from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• ZUMBA
  We are offering drop-in Zumba.
  Friday...........................10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday.......................10 a.m. - noon
• ROWING
  We are offering a rowing challenge practice.
  Thursday......................noon - 4 p.m.
  Friday...........................9 a.m. - noon (Practice)
            ...........................2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Competition)

* Terry Smythe and Athletes Without Limits will be here to promote rowing as a competition.

• TO YOUR GOOD LIFE
  Spartan Stores Health and Wellness Program
  Friday...........................9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Saturday.......................9 a.m. - noon

• MIchigan CHIP

Friday.......................... 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday.......................9 a.m. - noon