With support from Optometry Giving Sight, three trainees from Special Olympics Nevada, Tennessee, and Florida completed a Clinical Director Train-the-Trainer program at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games from 18 – 20 June in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The training equips volunteer licensed optometrists, ophthalmologists, and other certified eyecare practitioners with the knowledge needed to lead Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes®, the vision care screening discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®.
Prior to attending the training, the three trainees completed a Clinical Director blended learning online training and pledged a three-year commitment to serving as a Clinical Director in their communities. The 2.5-day training marked the conclusion of the training experience, through which the group gained hands-on practical experience delivering an Opening Eyes screenings as part of the USA Games. The trainees leveraged the Healthy Athletes 2.0 system throughout screenings, a newly updated screening infrastructure which builds upon nearly 30 years of Healthy Athletes screenings to more efficiently collect athlete health data, increase clinical efficiency, and streamline referrals to follow up care in athletes’ home communities.
These trainees are the first Opening Eyes Clinical Directors in their respective Programs to be trained on the Healthy Athletes 2.0 platform, expanding local capacity to deliver high-quality vision screenings and increasing athlete access to health services in areas where Healthy Athletes programming has historically been limited.
During the Games, Donna Mikulecky, Executive Director of Optometry Giving Sight, joined the trainees and shared insights on the importance of inclusive health education and stronger follow-up care for athletes identified with urgent and non-urgent needs through Healthy Athletes screenings. The trainees are now preparing to lead future screening events in their states during fall and winter competitions.
The collaboration between Special Olympics and Optometry Giving Sight reflects a strong alignment between the two organizations. Through Opening Eyes, Special Olympics provides vision screenings, refractions, and prescription eyewear for athletes, while Optometry Giving Sight supports programs that expand access to vision care and train eye care professionals to better serve underserved communities.
Optometry Giving Sight also helped promote volunteerism around the USA Games by encouraging additional optometrists and vision care professionals to volunteer for Opening Eyes through promoting volunteer opportunities throughout their audiences and further supporting athlete access to care both financially and through professional engagement.
