PRESS RELEASE
February 18, 2005

Health Screenings for World Athletes
Many Special Olympic Athletes To Receive Quality Health Care For The First Time Ever During Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program

(Nagano, Japan) The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® initiative, along with more than 100 health professionals from around the world, will offer health screenings to nearly 1,900 Special Olympics athletes from 26 February through March 4 at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. In order to protect the confidentiality of those receiving screenings within this clinical setting, a dedicated media tour has been established for Tuesday 1 March between 13:00 - 15:00 at Monzen Plaza.

Prominent health care professionals will provide free daily clinical services in six components of the Healthy Athletes initiative: Special Smiles®, Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes®, Healthy Hearing, Health Promotion, FUNfitness and Fit Feet.  These volunteers will provide dental, vision, hearing, sun safety (skin), nutrition, bone, fitness and podiatric health care at no cost to the athletes. 

A review of more than 10,000 health screenings conducted at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games revealed that an inordinate percentage of people with intellectual disabilities have poorer health and access to health care when compared to the general public. For this reason, many of the athletes screened will be receiving quality health care for the first time. Qualified health care professionals will be provided with updated information on the health needs of this population and the best ways to treat them. The instructions health professionals will provide to athletes will help them maintain good health, wellness and fitness beyond the World Games. Athletes in need will also benefit from free eyewear, protective mouth guards and hearing aids.  

"Special Olympics athletes enjoy training and competing in sports for the same reasons as other athletes. However, because of the challenges of limited health care access and ill-prepared providers, they face significantly greater hurdles," said Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver. "The fact that Special Olympics athletes have done so much with health care ranging from insufficient to nonexistent is truly remarkable."

The mission of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative is to improve each athlete's ability to train and compete in Special Olympics as well as to improve their overall quality of life. Special Olympics Healthy Athletes clinics take place in more than 100 Special Olympics Programs around the world.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for 1.4 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics. Visit Special Olympics online at www.somt.org

Contact:  Bob Norbie, President
bnorbie@somt.org

Vicki Dunham, VP Field Service
vdunham@somt.org

Special Olympics Montana
P.O. Box 3507
Great Falls, MT  59403
1-800-242-6876