SPORTS

Special Olympics training workshops

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Train-the-Trainer workshop took place recently.

Among those speaking at the official opening ceremony on Friday were, HE the Governor, Bruce Dinwiddy and his wife Emma, Dr the Hon Frank McField and the Hon Gilbert McLean.

Delegates from the 23 countries making up Special Olympics Caribbean, along with health care professionals from the United States, were in Grand Cayman for the two-day workshop, developed to train health care workers on the specific needs of Special Olympics athletes.

Manager of the Health and Research Initiative for the Special Olympics, David Evangelista extended his thanks to all those involved and said: "We couldn't have done this without the assistance and support of Maxine Everson and Candilla Berment,"

Recognising that their athletes have a wider array of health problems and limited access to health care, Special Olympics developed the workshops in 1996 in order to improve each athlete's ability to train and compete in Special Olympics.

The main objectives of the Healthy Athletes programme was to improve access and health care for Special Olympics athletes, make referrals to local health practitioners, train health care professionals and students on the health status and needs of people with mental retardation, and push for improved health policies and programmes for persons with mental retardation.

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