The Mission
The mission of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative is to improve each athlete's ability to train and complete in Special Olympics.

Objectives
The three key objectives of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes are:

• To improve access and health care for Special Olympics athletes at event-based health screening clinics
• Make referrals to local health practitioners when appropriate
• Train health care professionals and students in the health professionals about the needs and care of people with mental retardation, and
• Collect, analyze, and disseminate data on the health status and needs of people with mental retardation.

Health Screenings
Since their inception, the first two disciplines for Healthy Athletes, Special Olympics Special Smiles and Special Olympics Opening Eyes have provided health benefits through dental screening and vision examinations to more than 30,000 Special Olympics athletes. These screenings and exams are conducted at Special Olympics World Games and state and national Games. The screening clinics are provided on a pro bono basis to Special Olympics athletes with the support of local dental and optometry schools and other health practitioners.

To date, most screenings have occurred in the United States. However, programs are emerging globally as a result of the train-the-trainer program conducted at the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. At these Games, sixty-eight clinical directors were trained to implement better Special Olympics Special Smiles or Special Olympics Opening Eyes screenings in their home states or countries.

Special Olympics Healthy Athletes seeks to expand the services it offers. Additional areas (dermatology, hearing, nutrition, orthopaedics, and physical therapy) are long evaluated.

• Global Messenger Graduate Course - follow-up training to the Beginner Course that works on refining public speaking skills, focusing speeches to get the desired action by the audience, and preparation for various media/presentation situations on encounters as a public speaker for Special Olympics.
• Athlete Leadership Workshop (Governance) - to prepare athletes to participate in Special Olympics programming and policy dialogue via instruction and practice in forming and articulating opinions, group discussion and techniques for gathering input. Equally important is the enhancement of awareness and listening skills of volunteers, staff and family members as they interact with athletes during this training.
• Athlete Leadership Workshop (Experiential) - to prepare athletes and other Program leadership to explain and encourage ALPs initiatives. Workshop participants experience various ALPs roles and explore the motivation and requirements for each. The resulting corps of athletes and volunteers/staff are then charged with promoting the ALPs mind set as well as the programs that bring these opportunities to more athletes.
• Athlete Congress - To provide a formal, deliberative process for the representation of athlete input in programming, policy and/or governance processes of Special Olympics.
• Special Olympics Officials Program for Athletes (SOOPA) - To provide athletes with readiness training for participation in National Governing Body programs that result in certification as an official or other skilled personnel.
• Athlete Boardsmanship - to provide guidance for athletes/support persons/ Boards of Directors that seek inclusive decision-making through athlete participation on the board.

Who Do I Call?
If you are an athlete, and you have ideas for new ALPs programs or you want more information, call your Local/Area Director.

If you are a Local/Area Director, and you either want to request training or you have an initiative to report, call your Program Office.

If you are a Program staff person and want to request training, request information, or report initiatives, contact Bobby Jones, SOI ALPs Coordinator, by phone, 202-824-0291, or by e-mail, Bjones@SpecialOlympics.org; or Dave Lenox, Director of Program Innovations by phone, 202-824-0231, or by e-mail, Dlenox@SpecialOlympics.org.

How to Get Started
Successful ALPs initiatives are driven by athlete interest. A program for athletes to gain certification as coaches will not be successful if the athletes involved don't want to be coaches.

Here are some basic steps to take:

• Get the word out to athletes, family members, coaches, etc. that your program - no matter what level - is interested in Athlete Leadership Programming. The best way to do this is to talk about it in newsletters and meetings.
• Ask your local programs or coaches for existing examples of athletes serving in leadership roles or directing their own participation. Use the definition of ALPs given here as a criteria. If you are a Program staff person, ask Area Directors, if you are an Area Director, ask Coaches.
• Record the input as a base line and look for ideas to promote and standardize. Inform Special Olympics, Inc. of your findings so that a world-wide data base of ALPs ideas can be maintained.
• Throughout the process, talk to the athletes about what they would like to do.
• Be sure that you find ways to value and promote all athletes - not just the highly skilled.

Special Olympics is about breaking down barriers that others thought were permanent ALPs programming is about breaking down our internal barriers that keep athletes from fully enjoying Special Olympics through self-directed, meaningful participation in virtually any aspect of the program.

ALPs Training
Special Olympics, Inc. monitors ALPs initiatives in the field as well as athlete input relating to roles that they would like to play in the program.

As new initiatives are reported that show promise for standardization and strong athlete interest, curricula are developed so that other Special Olympics Programs can replicate those initiatives begun elsewhere in the field.

ALPs Programs already standardized and available are:

• Global Messenger Beginner Course - to provide training and presentation skills for athletes interested in representing Special Olympics and Special Olympics Athletes in formal or support settings.