The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program is designed to improve each athlete’s ability to train and compete in Special Olympics, as well as in life, by providing free health screenings, services, and education in conjunction with competition events.

Officially launched in 1997, Special Olympics Healthy Athletes organizes its events in a welcoming, fun environment to educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up.

Through Healthy Athletes, more than 155,000 health care professionals and students have been trained to treat people with intellectual disabilities. These healthcare professionals provide improved care to millions.

Volunteer health professionals provide free health screenings including visual, dental, hearing, physiotherapy, and podiatry to each of the 7,000 athletes participating in the World Games 2019.