2025 Global Golisano Health Leadership Award Recipient from Kuwait: Dr. Yousef Alawadhi
Regional Clinical Director - Special Olympics Kuwait
Dr. Yousef Alawadhi is a dentist and a Regional Clinical Advisor for Special Olympics Kuwait. He has been involved in the Special Olympics movement since 2019 after first attending the World Games in Abu Dhabi. Following the Games, he established Special Olympics Kuwait’s first Special Olympics Healthy Athletes discipline, Special Olympics Special Smiles®. In the 6 years since, Dr. Alawadhi helped expand the scope of healthcare available to athletes, leading to the establishment of seven health disciplines within Special Olympics Kuwait. He has been a driving force for greater inclusive health programming for Special Olympics Kuwait by recruiting dentists to participate in Special Smiles and offering athletes tailored follow up care in his private clinic. He’s also been a vital force in donating and securing medical equipment donations for Special Olympics Kuwait, including by forging a partnership with Philips Sonicare to provide electric toothbrushes to athletes free of charge.
Beyond his work with Special Olympics, Dr. Alawadhi is engaged in a range of oral health humanitarian initiatives in underserved regions and refugee camps around the world.
Dr. Alawadhi is driven by service and community, in less than a decade, Dr. Alawadhi has helped transform the health programming available to athletes through Special Olympics Kuwait.
Dr. Yousef Alawadhi is a dentist and a Regional Clinical Advisor for Special Olympics Kuwait. He has been involved in the Special Olympics movement since 2019 after first attending the World Games in Abu Dhabi. Following the Games, he established Special Olympics Kuwait’s first Special Olympics Healthy Athletes discipline, Special Olympics Special Smiles®. In the 6 years since, Dr. Alawadhi helped expand the scope of healthcare available to athletes, leading to the establishment of seven health disciplines within Special Olympics Kuwait. He has been a driving force for greater inclusive health programming for Special Olympics Kuwait by recruiting dentists to participate in Special Smiles and offering athletes tailored follow up care in his private clinic. He’s also been a vital force in donating and securing medical equipment donations for Special Olympics Kuwait, including by forging a partnership with Philips Sonicare to provide electric toothbrushes to athletes free of charge.
Beyond his work with Special Olympics, Dr. Alawadhi is engaged in a range of oral health humanitarian initiatives in underserved regions and refugee camps around the world.
Dr. Alawadhi is driven by service and community, in less than a decade, Dr. Alawadhi has helped transform the health programming available to athletes through Special Olympics Kuwait.