Healthy Athletes

Two hundred and fifty athletes from 35 countries dived into five days of racing at the Special Olympics European Swimming Open Malta 2026. Hosted by Special Olympics Malta at the National Pool Complex from 10 to 14 September, the competition featured 25m, 50m, and 100m individual events, along with 4×25m freestyle relays for male, female, and mixed teams.

This November, athletes from across the Caribbean will come together in Jamaica for a first-of-its-kind opportunity in the country, the Special Olympics Caribbean Beach Games.

The inaugural conference called for action on health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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.

[Melville, NY (USA) – 18 August 2026] Access to quality healthcare can make a profound difference in a person’s life. Yet for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID), barriers to care remain a daily reality.

Over the last two days, Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® conducted over 700 free health screenings for athletes and Unified partners participating in the Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup, Paris 2026.

The footballs are packed. The boots are laced. From training grounds across the world, 324 footballers from 23 nations will gather at the Charléty Stadium in the ‘City of Light’ between 6-11 July to compete for the coveted title.

ESPN visited Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® speaking with athletes, volunteers, and Special Olympics staff about the seven free, accessible health screening disciplines offered,

An Innovative Way for Athlete Leaders to Learn Debuts Today

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.