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Jundiaí, 7 July – Over 100 hundred families from Brazil and representatives from the 18 different countries participating at the Special Olympics Pan-American Tennis tournament took part in the Special Olympics Family Forum on 4 July in the city of Jundaí.
The families discussed sexuality in people with intellectual disabilities and how the family can help orient the athletes in the subject.
Special Olympics recognizes the importance of the family and the significant role it plays in the athlete’s development. Families involved with Special Olympics find help for their own members and also acquire a support structure to help others, working as team, in their common worries, questions and life experiences.
On 6 July, 400 athletes received free medical check-ups thanks to the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® program. They received dental screenings from volunteer health care professionals as part of Special Smiles®, and information on nutrition, smoking cessation and sun safety as part of the Health Promotion initiative.
The medical check-ups were delivered by 55 health volunteers — physicians, nurses, dentists, nutritionists and therapists — to athletes participating in the tennis competition, members of Special Olympics Brazil and members of the intellectual disability community.
“In a friendly environment, avoiding the hospital setting that could be frightening for the patients, the athletes were evaluated and diagnosed, and received advice in health and physical condition improvement,” explained Cynthia Savioli, Coordinator of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program in Brazil.
Ney Bourroul, a 41-year-old athlete from Sao Paolo, took part in the Healthy Athletes program. He highly appreciates this initiative. “It is really fun. Health is very important, as much as sports,” he said.
The physicians and other health specialist volunteers were trained about working with people with intellectual disabilities.
The Healthy Athletes and the Family Forum were part of the 1st Special Olympics Pan-American Tennis Tournament which took placed in Jundiaí, Brazil from 2-6 July. This was the first time Brazil hosted the regional competition, in which more than 110 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 18 countries demonstrated their tennis skills.
For further information on the Special Olympics Pan-American Tennis Tournament visit www.esef.br/panamericano
Contact
Claudia Echeverry
+ (507) 317 0615
cechevrry@specialolympics.org
Raquel Delgado
+ (507) 317 0615
rdelgado@specialolympics.org
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