In the Spotlight
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Dr. Gonzalo Larrabure, a pediatric surgeon from Lima, Peru, is the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Regional Coordinator for Latin America. The photos are from a recent “Healthy Athletes Day” held in Cusco, Peru. |
“In the Spotlight” this issue is Dr. Gonzalo Larrabure. Gonzalo is a Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Regional Coordinator for Latin America. He first joined the Healthy Athletes team after being trained at a Train-the-Trainer in Lima in 2003.
You are a pediatric surgeon. How did you first get involved with the Special Olympics organization? Can you share the roles you have had before becoming Regional Coordinator for Special Olympics Latin America?
My first connection to Special Olympics was in 1996 when a Special Education school in Lima, Peru, asked me to conduct medical examinations for athletes - the program requires this certificate so athletes can train and compete.
Since then, as a pediatric and newborn surgeon, I have had the opportunity to do surgical cases of people with intellectual disabilities. I was curious to know what happened to this special population after they got older. One day I was talking with a friend of mine who used to work with Special Olympics Peru; he invited me to be part of the Healthy Athletes team in Peru. I started out as the Healthy Athletes National Director and Health Promotion Clinical Coordinator after a Train-the-Trainer took place in Lima in 2003. In 2005, I was invited to join the Special Olympics Latin America staff as the Healthy Athletes Regional Coordinator.
How do you recruit volunteers across Special Olympics Latin America?
In our region, volunteers are recruited by the national Programs in coordination with the National Healthy Athletes Directors because they have the contacts with the health professionals in their own countries. In the regional office, we give them the guidelines to recruit volunteers and follow the screening protocols. I think that this is very good practice because each Special Olympics Program knows the best candidates and the best way to work with them. It is important to mention that the Healthy Athletes National Director is the coordinator between the Clinical Directors and the Special Olympics Executive Director - and works directly with the other Special Olympics directors (sports, families, marketing, Games).
Healthy Athletes Day is unique to Special Olympics Latin America. How did you first come up with this idea? When did it start? Do you work with governments and other sponsors and partners to hold events?
The Healthy Athletes Day was an idea that came up in 2003 during a regional training for Clinical Coordinators in Panama. This event, held on its own without competitions, was a success because families were invited to participate, as well as media and sponsors. More than this, we noticed that the athletes were very happy at the end of the day and we reached our targeted number of attendees. During 2004 several Special Olympics Programs organized Healthy Athletes Days and they found the events to be a very important tool to recruit athletes, families and to show Healthy Athletes to sponsors and governments.
We work with global, regional and local sponsors. The Special Olympics Programs are in charge of looking for sponsors. In the same way, we work with government at all levels, but generally with Health Ministries. Healthy Athletes Day is a great tool for quality growth at the sub-Program level. It also increases public awareness and new resources!
How have you seen Healthy Athletes Latin America expand over the last four years?
Healthy Athletes services are growing daily and at each event. At this moment, we have the commitment to grow at a sub-Program level with great results. The numbers grow in an exponential way, thousands of athletes have already benefited through the Healthy Athletes program. This program also helps find sponsors, develop alliances and show governments real results from our Healthy Athletes events.
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Dr. Gonzalo Larrabure performing health screening in Peru. |
Do you know of any stories about how Special Olympics has helped athletes in Latin America?
During a Healthy Athletes event held in Cuzco in 2005, an athlete named Betsy was checked by volunteers. We learned that she had a nephritis, secondary to a skin infection. She was immediately taken to a hospital. Fourteen days later, she regained her health and was discharged. The doctors said, “Betsy was very lucky because she came to the hospital in the exact moment.” We hear many stories about how Healthy Athletes helps athletes, especially those in need of critical care.
I was never more proud to be part of Special Olympics and the Healthy Athletes team than recently, when an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Peru on 15 August. We were getting ready to hold a Healthy Athletes Day in Ica, Peru, the next day. Sixty-nine doctors, nurses, optometrists and other health-care workers volunteering for Special Olympics, were in route to Ica when the earthquake hit. These volunteers became an ad hoc medical team, as Ica was at the earthquake epicenter, and with hundreds dead and thousands injured, the health-care volunteers were quickly assimilated into the rescue effort. The health-care professionals arrived at the local hospital approximately 20 minutes after the earthquake struck and worked relentlessly to help the people of Ica for two days.
In your opinion, what impact has Special Olympics had in Latin America?
This is not only my opinion, but something I share with colleagues and other people: Special Olympics is changing lives - not only of the lives of Special Olympics athletes and their families, but the general population as well. This movement permits the general population to know the potential of the athletes. Health professionals also have the opportunity to evaluate the athletes and share time with them.
Return to Healthy Athletes Update, Summer 2007
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