1 01:00:06,060 --> 01:00:08,605 Special Olympics creates a welcoming space 2 01:00:08,605 --> 01:00:10,690 to provide health education for families 3 01:00:10,690 --> 01:00:12,775 of those with intellectual disabilities 4 01:00:12,775 --> 01:00:14,902 through Family Health Forums. 5 01:00:14,902 --> 01:00:16,571 Family Health Forums are designed 6 01:00:16,571 --> 01:00:19,198 to offer an environment where parents and caregivers 7 01:00:19,198 --> 01:00:22,910 can gain direct access to health information, resources, 8 01:00:22,910 --> 01:00:24,370 and support. 9 01:00:24,370 --> 01:00:26,789 Family Health Forum is an event 10 01:00:26,789 --> 01:00:28,791 that Special Olympics will put on 11 01:00:28,791 --> 01:00:33,296 to bridge between our families and our athletes 12 01:00:33,296 --> 01:00:37,258 to the services, the providers, the resources that exists 13 01:00:37,258 --> 01:00:38,968 within the community. 14 01:00:38,968 --> 01:00:41,387 When people think of Special Olympics, they think sports 15 01:00:41,387 --> 01:00:45,016 but for like any other athlete or athlete organization 16 01:00:45,016 --> 01:00:45,850 we have to make sure 17 01:00:45,850 --> 01:00:49,395 that our athletes are physically capable of training 18 01:00:49,395 --> 01:00:51,397 and competing for the sports that they're in. 19 01:00:51,397 --> 01:00:53,941 We screen our athletes for health conditions. 20 01:00:53,941 --> 01:00:56,277 We provide them with health education 21 01:00:56,277 --> 01:00:59,530 so that they can train and compete at their highest level. 22 01:01:01,157 --> 01:01:03,326 There's always a specific health topic. 23 01:01:03,326 --> 01:01:05,495 We've done nutrition presentations, 24 01:01:05,495 --> 01:01:07,413 we've done COVID presentations, 25 01:01:07,413 --> 01:01:09,624 we've done mental health presentations. 26 01:01:09,624 --> 01:01:11,542 You teach these things to their families. 27 01:01:11,542 --> 01:01:15,755 You teach these things to them and they're healthier. 28 01:01:15,755 --> 01:01:18,174 I'm not necessarily as concerned about, 29 01:01:18,174 --> 01:01:21,552 okay, you shaved all four seconds off your a 100 meter run. 30 01:01:21,552 --> 01:01:23,680 Yes, this athlete is able to compete better 31 01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:25,431 because they're healthier and they're fitter 32 01:01:25,431 --> 01:01:28,017 but now they're gonna live a better quality life. 33 01:01:28,017 --> 01:01:30,061 Someone might learn something from a Family Health Forum 34 01:01:30,061 --> 01:01:31,354 and then they take that home. 35 01:01:31,354 --> 01:01:34,065 They might say, "Hey, I was at this event. 36 01:01:34,065 --> 01:01:36,317 I got these resources, or I learned this material." 37 01:01:36,317 --> 01:01:38,486 And then they can spread that throughout the community 38 01:01:38,486 --> 01:01:41,030 whether that other family or individual participated 39 01:01:41,030 --> 01:01:43,157 in the event or not. 40 01:01:43,157 --> 01:01:46,494 The biggest impact I've seen is the families connecting 41 01:01:46,494 --> 01:01:47,328 with other families. 42 01:01:47,328 --> 01:01:49,372 When these families start to ask questions 43 01:01:49,372 --> 01:01:51,749 and start to talk about these particular topics 44 01:01:51,749 --> 01:01:53,751 they're really making connections with one another 45 01:01:53,751 --> 01:01:55,795 and that's where you see a lot of the great exchanges 46 01:01:55,795 --> 01:01:56,879 between parents. 47 01:01:56,879 --> 01:02:00,174 Now these families have a network of individuals 48 01:02:00,174 --> 01:02:01,801 that they can ask 49 01:02:01,801 --> 01:02:04,387 if they're going through specific challenges 50 01:02:04,387 --> 01:02:06,180 within maybe a health system. 51 01:02:06,180 --> 01:02:08,391 When you see those families, talking with each other 52 01:02:08,391 --> 01:02:10,309 and athletes smiling and playing with each other 53 01:02:10,309 --> 01:02:11,936 and talking and having fun, 54 01:02:11,936 --> 01:02:13,438 again you think back to those moments 55 01:02:13,438 --> 01:02:16,274 where, man, this athlete five years ago 56 01:02:16,274 --> 01:02:17,692 may not have had many friends 57 01:02:17,692 --> 01:02:19,736 and may have been almost nonverbal 58 01:02:19,736 --> 01:02:22,739 and now I see that he or she has 20 friends 59 01:02:22,739 --> 01:02:24,449 and they're out there running around playing 60 01:02:24,449 --> 01:02:26,617 with the other athletes and the quality of their life 61 01:02:26,617 --> 01:02:27,869 has improved so much. 62 01:02:27,869 --> 01:02:31,873 I think these opportunities that Special Olympics 63 01:02:31,873 --> 01:02:35,001 offers with these health forums it's so important, 64 01:02:35,001 --> 01:02:36,794 especially as this population 65 01:02:36,794 --> 01:02:40,339 starts to live more independently. 66 01:02:40,339 --> 01:02:42,175 I imagine that initial feeling 67 01:02:42,175 --> 01:02:45,386 of "I can be myself here and I belong here." 68 01:02:45,386 --> 01:02:46,304 That's why they don't leave. 69 01:02:46,304 --> 01:02:48,181 That's why we have people that, 70 01:02:48,181 --> 01:02:50,600 we have athletes that compete for 40 years. 71 01:02:50,600 --> 01:02:53,144 We have coaches that stay on just as long. 72 01:02:53,144 --> 01:02:54,979 They can learn new things 73 01:02:54,979 --> 01:02:58,900 and ultimately it sort of becomes their family.