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Well above and beyond
Letter to the Editor
Special Olympics BC recently hosted our Healthy Athletes Screening Day and functional testing event in Cranbrook on October 15 for individuals with intellectual disabilities. We wanted to recognize what an incredible community and positive spirit we experienced – we are so grateful!
The Special Olympics BC Healthy Athletes Screening Day involved more than 75 individuals with intellectual disabilities receiving free health screenings in a warm and supportive environment that helped draw out issues and share vital information. The participating Special Olympics athletes from throughout the Kootenays also had the opportunity to take part in functional testing to help track and motivate their training progress and health.
Particularly amazing were the staff of Nish Dental Clinic, Cranbrook Vision Care and Kimberley Vision Care, along with College of the Rockies dental and nursing students and staff member Deni Marsh, who volunteered their time to provide screenings and help with functional testing. The clinics in particular went above and beyond, providing their office, equipment, and expertise. When weather and transportation challenges threw a wrench in the proceedings for practitioners and equipment travelling sent to Cranbrook, these individuals went well above and beyond the original scope of their roles to make the day a success!
This support is hugely important because of the significant health challenges faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities.
People with intellectual disabilities experience worse health care and access to services than others in their communities. Globally, millions of people with intellectual disabilities lack access to quality health care and experience dramatically higher rates of preventable disease, chronic pain and suffering, and premature death in every country around the world. In developing and developed countries alike, people with intellectual disabilities are consistently one of the most marginalized population subsets.
This status comes with horrific health outcomes, such as higher rates of premature death – a 2013 United Kingdom study found that people with intellectual disabilities were more than twice as likely to die before the age of 50 than the general population – and higher rates of obesity.
The vision of the Special Olympics Health program is to create a world where people with intellectual disabilities have the same opportunities and access to health care as the general population, and in doing so, allow Special Olympics athletes to perform their best on and off the playing field.
The support of volunteers and sponsors plays a critical part in Special Olympics Health programming and changing the game for athlete health. Special Olympics BC sends our sincere thanks to the following wonderful volunteers:
Nish Dental Clinic + two College of the Rockies Dental Students: Dr. Dean Nish; Dr. Stephan Wolfs; Diane Norum; Sadie Fry; Sharon Bergeron; Karrie Pighin; Mackenzie Fraser; Tracy Salanski; Amanda Touret; Anna Miller; Kolby Fenton; Kim Lowry.
Cranbrook Vision Care and Kimberley Vision Care Staff: Dr. Rick Bednarczyck; Dr. Christine Chatten and Staff; Dr. Fred Robertson; Layla Lye; Nicole Butler.
Ashten Staffen,
Special Olympics BC Coordinator, Health & Sport Science
