At the Road to Santiago 2027 Invitational Games, Special Olympics athletes’ health and well-being are a priority both on and off the field of play. Alongside sports competition, Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®, made possible by the Golisano Foundation, provides free health screenings, education, and referrals to follow-up care, identifies preventable health conditions, and ensures athletes receive the care they need to be healthy and well in their day-to-day lives.
Its presence reflects a holistic approach to the Games. Every athlete arrives with sporting goals, but also with health care needs that deserve attention. Incorporating these screenings into the Games makes it possible to leverage the gathering to create an impact that extends far beyond competition results.
Cristian Pérez, Head of Healthy Athletes for the World Games, explains how Healthy Athletes brings health screenings directly to athletes competing at the Games. Through a variety of health disciplines, volunteer healthcare students and professionals conduct screenings that help identify potential issues early and guide athletes toward timely care and support.
A Trusted Environment That Makes Care More Accessible
One of Healthy Athletes greatest strengths is delivering inclusive care in a welcoming environment. For people with IDD, accessing health care can involve communication gaps, anxiety, and challenges in finding services tailored to their needs.
At the Games, these interactions take place in a familiar environment, supported by the positive experience of sport. According to Pérez, providing a safe, comfortable, and calm setting facilitates communication and helps athletes participate in screenings with greater confidence.
In this way, inclusion takes shape through concrete actions: bringing services directly to athletes, listening to their needs, and creating conditions that encourage active participation in managing their own health.
Six Health Disciplines Supporting Athlete Well-Being During the Preparatory Games, athletes participated in free health screenings across six disciplines: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physiotherapy), Health Promotion (preventative medicine), Healthy Hearing (audiology), Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® (vision care), and Strong Minds (mental health).
Together, these screening provide a broader understanding of athletes’ health and help identify needs that may affect both their sports performance and their daily lives.
An Experience Preparing the Way for Santiago 2027 By its second day of operation, Healthy Athletes saw nearly 200 athletes from countries including Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. In addition to its direct impact on athletes, Healthy Athletes brought together volunteers, students, and health care professionals around a shared goal of expanding inclusive health.
For Pérez, the Preparatory Games also represent a valuable learning opportunity. They allow organizers to put Healthy Athletes into practice, identify areas for improvement, and refine its implementation ahead of the Santiago 2027 World Games.
While athletes prepare and compete, health care students and professionals are also strengthening their ability to support them more effectively. The Games thus become a space where sport, care, and inclusion move forward together.
