Who We Are
Special Olympics mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. In Maine we serve over 5000 athletes and offer 70+ events year round at the local, state, national and international levels.
What We Do
Healthy Athletes is a Special Olympics program that provides free health screenings in a fun, welcoming environment that removes the anxiety people with intellectual disabilities often experience when faced with a visit to a doctor or dentist. Officially launched in 1997, Healthy Athletes® screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up referral. Healthy Athletes® not only serves athletes but also trains health care professionals who then go back to their practices with increased knowledge of and compassion for people with intellectual disabilities.
Healthy Athletes® currently offers health screenings in seven areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision) and Special Smiles (dentistry).
Special Olympics Maine offers the following health screenings:
- Opening Eyes
- FUNfitness
- Healthy Hearing
- Special Smiles
- Fit Feet
Volunteers are needed who have specific medical training or who wish to help with the aspects of health initiatives that don't involve medical screenings.
