We are looking for PT leaders in Kansas who would be interested in serving as Clinical Directors for the FUNfitness screening program with Special Olympics Kansas. Kansas would like to offer FUNfitness and they are beginning to plan in person events for 2022. CD training is a hybrid of online training and in-person mentorship. We would like to work with you and your leadership to identify some potential candidates. Some background information about Special Olympics Health:
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 countries. Special Olympics competitions are held every day, all around the world—including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than 70,000 events a year. Special Olympics, as the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities, needs volunteer health care professionals to serve as Clinical Directors for its Healthy Athletes FUNfitness Program.
The FUNfitness Program provides athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to improve athletic performance through education and a number of assessments. The FUNfitness Program measures athletes’ flexibility, strength, balance and aerobic fitness. During a FUNfitness Program Physical Therapists teach exercises to help athletes improve identified areas of need; educate participants, families and coaches about the importance of flexibility, strength, balance, and aerobic conditioning in overall fitness and provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to learn how the physical therapist can help them with fitness.
Special Olympics is reaching out to professional and skilled physiotherapists to help individuals improve their athletic performance. The specialized backgrounds and expertise you have to offer can ensure that the FUNfitness Program reaches its maximum potential. We need you to use your special skills and abilities to help change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. As FUNfitness Clinical Director you will join other health professionals volunteering in the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program. The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program offers health screenings in seven areas: Fit Feet-podiatry, FUNfitness- physical therapy, Health Promotion- better health, nutrition and well-being, Healthy Hearing- audiology, MedFest -sports physical exam, Opening Eyes- vision and Special Smiles- dentistry. Please accept the challenge of empowering our athletes by promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles. As one Healthy Athletes volunteer recently said, "The athletes thank me for what I do for them, but it is really the athletes who deserve my thanks for what they do for me.”
Special Olympics is recruiting for FUNfitness Program Clinical Directors for Kansas. Please contact me for any questions!