Upcoming Events
Stronger Together | Inclusive Day of Health and Sports
Date: Saturday, October 4
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: 3000 BrightStone Pkwy, Franklin, TN
Event to include Special Smiles, Fit Feet, MedFest, Health Promotion and Healthy Hearing.
REGISTER - CLICK HERE
VOLUNTEER - CLICK HERE
Healthy Athletes Screening
Good health is necessary to achieve a high standard of living and good quality of life; however, all too often, Tennessee athletes encounter challenges in accessing the high-quality and compassionate health care they need. By promoting Inclusive Health values, Special Olympics Tennessee is working hard to improve health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities so Tennessee athletes can live their healthiest lives and achieve their highest potential both on and off the field.
Tennessee offers 7 different Healthy Athletes screenings and health education throughout the year. These screenings allow athletes to access free and high-quality prevention and early detection for different health concerns.
Tennessee offers 7 different Healthy Athletes screenings and health education throughout the year. These screenings allow athletes to access free and high-quality prevention and early detection for different health concerns.
Opening Eyes
Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes (Vision/Eye Health)
Healthy Hearing
Audiology
MedFest
Medical History and Physical Exam
Strong Minds
Emotional Health
FUNfitness
Physical Therapy
Fit Feet
Podiatry
As our Health & Wellness Champion, Lifepoint Health is dedicated to inclusive health and supporting our athletes every day through health screenings, fitness classes, nutritional education and so much more.
Train 4 Life & Fitness Competitions
The Special Olympics Tennessee Fitness Program is a wellness project focused on fitness, nutrition, and mental health for teens and adults ages 15+ with intellectual disabilities. The 12-week program will encompass pre-and-post-biometric and fitness testing outcomes, along with once-a-week group workouts, and weekly nutrition and healthy lifestyle education. Through fitness and health outcomes, we can empower our athletes to develop appropriate health goals and measure realistic outcomes, to improve all health disparities our population with intellectual disabilities faces.
LOCATIONS
D1 Training Cool Springs
D1 Training West Nashville
D1 Training Springhill
D1 Training Knoxville
D1 Training Hendersonville
Orange Grove Center Chattanooga
re:MOVE Lebanon
CLICK HERE TO FIND A CLASS NEAR YOU
LOCATIONS
D1 Training Cool Springs
D1 Training West Nashville
D1 Training Springhill
D1 Training Knoxville
D1 Training Hendersonville
Orange Grove Center Chattanooga
re:MOVE Lebanon
CLICK HERE TO FIND A CLASS NEAR YOU
Focus on Health - Dr. Frost and Healthy Athletes
Current Healthy Communities Initiatives
Health Messengers
Health Messengers are athletes who are trained to serve as health and wellness leaders, educators, advocates and role models within their communities and across the state. They are leading their teams, families, and communities to pursue health lifestyles, and are advocating for healthcare providers and governments to adopt inclusive policies around health.
Family Health Forums
Family Health Forums provide a space for families and caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities to engage with health professionals, community leaders and social service providers. These forums are a safe place to bring questions and learn more about special topics relating to ID health.
1 Min Read
Health Care Professionals
Special Olympics Tennessee provides continuing education and volunteer opportunities for health care providers and professionals to engage and learn about caring for special needs populations.
1 Min Read
Healthy Communities
Healthy Communities is a model Special Olympics Health program whose goal is to address the severe health disparities faced by people with intellectual disabilities through immediate and long-term community-based solutions.
Special Olympics Tennessee is working to achieve Healthy Communities in the following ways:
Special Olympics Tennessee is working to achieve Healthy Communities in the following ways:
Conducting Healthy Athlete screenings
Developing partnerships
Training Health Professionals
Providing ongoing health and wellness activities
By the Numbers
Unfortunately, it is normal for people with intellectual disabilities to receive sub-standard care compared to the rest of the population.
Special Olympics Tennessee is fighting hard to beat the statistics through Inclusive Health.
Reports show on a team of 10 Special Olympics athletes:
Special Olympics Tennessee is fighting hard to beat the statistics through Inclusive Health.
Reports show on a team of 10 Special Olympics athletes:
6 are overweight or obese and at risk for chronic health conditions
6 have problems with flexibility and 5 will have problems with strength, placing them at risk for injury
4 have untreated tooth decay and 1-2 are in need of urgent dental care
2-3 have low bone density even though they may look healthy
2 would have never had an eye exam and 4 need a new prescription for glasses
2 would fail a hearing test
Health Partners
Lifepoint Health
Delta Dental of Tennessee
Special Olympics Health activities are supported by many sources, including in the United States, by Grant Number NU27DD000021 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with $18.1M (64%) financed with U.S. federal funds and $10.2M (36%) supported by non-federal sources.
“These contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.”