Health

Celebrated annually on 11 June, International Day of Play reminds us that play isn’t just fun; it’s an essential part of childhood development. It’s how children build confidence, communication skills, physical coordination, and social-emotional development—laying the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. Early childhood play programs like Special Olympics Young Athletes bring this to life.

Eleven Projects that Could Change Special Olympics from the Ground Up

Athlete leaders attending the 2026 SONA Regional Athlete Congress explain why they are done merely talking; they are ready to get to work.

Children’s National Hospital pediatric occupational therapist Katherine Williamson joins Inclusion Revolution Radio to discuss building more inclusive healthcare experiences for neurodivergent children, alongside disability advocates and "Patrice: The Movie" stars Patrice Jetter and Garry Wickham, who share their firsthand experiences navigating a healthcare system not designed with them in mind.

At the 2026 World Health Assembly, Pearl Lüthy, Special Olympics Switzerland athlete and World Winter Games Switzerland 2029 Athlete Ambassador called on health care workers around the world to improve communication and advance inclusive health policies and practices.

There are no tap outs here, just mat-cushioned hard knocks! On this episode of Novie Knows, Novie learns the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu from brown belt and Special Olympics colleague RJ Nealon and black belt Mike Mehl at Conquest Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness. Class is in session for this two-part episode!Download the Transcript

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) profiled Denise Cardona, Senior Clinical Program Manager for Special Olympics Healthy Hearing, in the May/June issue of The ASHA Leader.

The story details how Kayte leveraged her own challenges accessing mental health care to help develop Special Olympics Strong Minds, the mental discipline of Special Olympics Health Athletes®.

Future of Personal Health captures the impactful work being accomplished by Special Olympics to mitigate the gap in mental health care for people with disabilities. The following is an excerpt from the article titled Closing the Mental Health Gap for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:

Every May, Special Olympics celebrates Fitness and Sport Month, recognizing the power of sport to support athlete health, fitness, and performance. To celebrate, I met with Special Olympics Pakistan athlete and Fitness Captain Muaz Khan to learn about his journey to becoming a Fitness Captain.