Special Olympics Hawai‘i will begin expanded health programming for its athletes this month through a three-year $60,000 grant, which is part of a $25 million commitment to Special Olympics from the Golisano Foundation.

With the funding, Special Olympics Hawai‘i will hire a “Healthy Community manager” whose focus will be to work to improve the health of the 3,700 athletes the organization serves each year.

Special Olympics Hawai‘i will create a “SOFit curriculum,” designed to address the health issues of obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. Also, plans are in place to hold a training for athletes and coaches.

In a news release, Nancy Bottelo, Special Olympics Hawai‘i president and CEO, said, “We are excited that Special Olympics Hawai‘i has been selected to participate in this very important Healthy Community Initiative, which will help create a healthier lifestyle for the local athletes we serve.”

Over the past 19 years, Special Olympics has grown to become the largest global public health organization focused on people with intellectual disabilities. Led by the Golisano Foundation’s support and that of other organizations including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Special Olympics is stepping up efforts to “ensure people with intellectual disabilities are not excluded from the health care systems within their communities.”

Since 1997 Special Olympics’ Healthy Athletes program, also supported by Golisano, has provided people with intellectual disabilities free examinations and education in the area of audiology, dentistry, health promotion, optometry physical exams, physical therapy and podiatry. Special Olympics programs are now working toward year-round inclusive health programming called Healthy Communities, which takes the tenets of the Healthy Athletes events and folds them into year-round programming opportunities for athletes.

More information about Special Olympics Hawai‘i is available online at specialolympicshawaii.org.