On July 16th, 2018 Special Olympics Illinois hosted the first-ever Healthy Athletes Cooking Demonstration. Collaborating with Entercom’s Culinary Kitchen, Steak 48 Executive Chef Brian Key, and Private Chef El Mehdi Fatat to prepare delicious dishes with Special Olympics Illinois athletes.
With Healthy Athletes, Special Olympics has become the largest public health organization specifically for people with intellectual disabilities.
Special Olympics Illinois currently offers 6 different health screening programs throughout the state: FUNFitness (physical therapy), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision), Healthy Promotion and Special Smiles (dentistry).
Officially launched in 1997, Healthy Athletes organizes its events in a welcoming, fun environment. Its screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up.