#teamsonc

Overview

Working with Special Olympics North Carolina this semester has been so rewarding. Team SONC was given the role to plan, promote, present, and collect data from Wellness Wednesdays. Working alongside Ellen, Team SONC preceptor, made every week run smoothly. Each week overall got better and better. From working out to dancing, the hour spent with athletes was my absolute favorite. Team SONC was very blessed in all aspects during this internship with SONC. This semester was so much fun and I am very excited to be back working with SONC again in the Spring.  

Limitations and barriers

Every year Special Olympics hosts an event called Medfest which allows the athletes to come and get a variety of health screenings. A list of things Medfest does includes: Offering a free sports physical, and other health screening services to people with intellectual disabilities (ID), providing individuals with ID who are not yet Special Olympics athletes the means to become Special Olympics athletes, providing individuals who are already Special Olympics athletes the means to remain athletes by supplying the necessary re-qualification physical examination, providing members of the medical community with training and specialized experience in the examination and assessment of people with ID, and offering sports demos and wellness activities in the form of a Wellness Fair. This is to promote the local SO sports programming as well as connect athletes to local community health and wellness resources.

Unfortunately, this year due to COVID-19, Special Olympics North Carolina was not able to have Medfest for the athletes to do their health screenings. Fortunately, this is where Team SONC comes in. The Wellness Wednesday sessions that I discussed in all of my previous posts were an opportunity to not only teach athletes about being healthy but to do screenings that otherwise would have been done at MedFest. Although these screenings were virtual which ultimately was a barrier due to not being hands on with the athletes, the turnout of participants was always a great success. Being that these sessions were virtual, there were athletes that were unable to participate due to the lack of technology or wifi capabilities. There were 39 total countries that participated, 51% being rural counties. Every athlete was given a play book for the semester that they were to complete and if they were unable to meet virtually, they were to fill out the book and return to their coach to show participation. Every athlete was very excited about participating whether it was virtually or just by completing their playbook. The barriers of being in rural areas versus urban is the access to quick and efficient internet. 

The biggest challenge for me was not being able to be hands on with the athletes and not allowing the athletes to unmute themselves on the zoom sessions. Even though this semester looks different for everyone, I would have loved to give an athlete a hug or hear them share their story through a virtual session. It was during the Special Smiles session that we broke out into break out rooms and I was able to talk with a few athletes about their dentist experiences. This was one of my favorite sessions. Not only was I excited to talk with the athletes but they were so excited to finally talk with us!  

Successes

Rural Areas, IDD, and SONC

There are many differences between rural and urban areas. Any area has disparities and inequalities but rural areas more so than urban areas. People with disabilities who live in rural areas where essential services are scarce often face difficulties seldom encountered in urban areas. Access to adequate housing, transportation, employment, educational programs, and specialized healthcare may be limited in many parts of rural America. Community organizations, healthcare facilities, local governments and other rural entities can help people with disabilities by collaborating and creatively using limited resources to provide needed services Individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) experience these barriers more often than individuals without disabilities. Individuals with IDD lack resources necessary for their health in rural areas. There are many gaps in rural communities for any individual but specifically for individuals with IDD needs to be addressed. People with disabilities have largely been unrecognized as a population for public health attention, but recent efforts have made the poor health of this population visible. People with disabilities are often excluded from participation in mainstream public health programs and services.  

Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) has created amazing opportunities for individuals with IDD. SONC has created opportunities for individuals with IDD to participate in sporting events as well as educational opportunities to promote healthy ways to live. The goal of Special Olympics is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed, accepted, and included. Individuals with IDD in rural areas face lack of support and there are not many who understand the issues and problems individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities face daily. The Special Olympics Organization and SONC positively promotes IDD and responds to the barriers effectively. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. No matter where an athlete lives, urban or rural in NC, there is the ability for them to participate in Special Olympics and join a local team. Special Olympics also partners with Unified Champion Schools that also allow athletes to participate. Unified Champion Schools provide an environment that is free from bullying and exclusion, combats stereotypes and negative attitudes, eliminates hurtful language, promotes healthy activity and interactions, and is welcoming and values the engagement of students. Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools also bring youth with and without intellectual disabilities together through sports and education to create school communities of acceptance and respect. Unified Champion Schools are seen through every level of education (Pre-K/Head Start through college) and are driven by youth and staff leaders. 

Special Olympics North Carolina is such a special organization because they strive to make a difference. Through Unified Champion Schools to people wanting to volunteer their time to help individuals with IDD succeed. Volunteers are the backbone of Special Olympics North Carolina. SONC strives with the dedication of volunteers. In North Carolina, there are over 40,000 volunteers across the state. The time, energy and enthusiasm of volunteers fuel our movement and make our athletes’ dreams a reality. At Special Olympics North Carolina, there is a place for everyone. Sports-minded individuals can find a place coaching or assisting at practice or events. Local business people can utilize their talents as part of our Games Management Team. Students can devote their passion to a competition and retirees can support in a multitude of roles out in the field or in the office. At the end of the day, all volunteers have one thing in common, pride in knowing they are making a difference in the lives of Special Olympics athletes.