On 8 March 2025, Special Olympics partners, athletes, and honored guests gathered together at Inalpi Arena for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the opening of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
Healthy Athletes, made possible by the Golisano Foundation, is an essential part of every Games experience, and Turin was no exception. By providing free health screenings and education to all competing Special Olympics athletes, Healthy Athletes ensures that athletes are both fit to compete in the Games and have the care they need to be healthy and well in their day-to-day lives. Since 1997, Healthy Athletes has delivered over two million free health screenings globally, including 1,854 screenings administered in just three days in Turin.
The far-reaching impact of Healthy Athletes is only possible thanks to the support of Special Olympics Health partners, many of whom were in attendance for the Ribbon Cutting. Among them was Erica Dayton, Executive Director of the Golisano Foundation, a partner who has supported Healthy Athletes since its inception.
As Erica shared during the ceremony, “Through [our] collaboration, Healthy Athletes screenings have expanded globally, thousands of healthcare professionals have been trained to work in this field, and we are actively closing the gap of health disparities faced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This work has made an undeniable impact—not only detecting and addressing health concerns early but also ensuring that athletes receive the care they need long after screenings at World Games like we see today.”
In addition to Erica, speakers including Dr. Károly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D. (Special Olympics International Board Member), Alessandra Palazzotti (National Director, Special Olympics Italia), and Dr. Maurizio Volpini (Vice President, International Federation of Podiatrists and Chiropodists & Fit Feet Clinical Director) provided their perspectives on the impact of Healthy Athletes and the individuals who make it possible.
Through his speech Dr. Károly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D. emphasized the importance of partnership when addressing the health disparities that the IDD community faces while Dr. Maurizio Volpini thanked his fellow Clinical Directors for volunteering their time and expertise.
Headlining the event as moderators were Sargent Shriver Global Messengers (SSGMs) Margaret Turley and Federico Correzzola. Margaret, who also serves as a Special Olympics Health Messenger, shared a powerful message to close the ceremony: “I want to leave you all with a challenge: let’s work together to expand and strengthen Healthy Athletes in every corner of the world. Take what you learn here beyond Turin and help build a future where every Special Olympics athlete has access to the life-changing health care they deserve.”
