Hey, fellow athletes! April 27, 2023 represents the start of a MAJOR Special Olympics Virginia initiative, one that we hope will help you with fitness and friendships! It’s no longer just about sports – it’s about FITNESS! The initiative includes programs and partnerships that will help athletes improve their health. I will explain why we are doing this, so keep reading if you want to learn more about the ways this initiative will help you on your fitness journey.
There are two important things that I would like to share.
First, we will have brand new fitness programs such as Walking Clubs and Fitness Clubs that will focus on athletes getting more steps and trying new exercises in a group setting. The goal is that, wherever you are in the state, athletes will be able to start or join a new Club. The leaders of the Clubs will even have a special training certification to help them get started. The Walking Clubs will have Conversation Cards for people to talk about while on their walks. This will help athletes think of questions to get to know one another better. These Clubs will not only focus on fitness, but also encourage athletes to form friendships with each other. In my experience, you can never have too many friends!
The next part of the initiative will be an array of online resources that you can find on a new part of our website. For those of you who enjoy watching fitness videos, this will be very helpful. You will be able to learn exercises a lot easier with this new resource, and you will have a variety of videos to pick from. This can be a good thing if you decide you don’t want to join a group, because you can exercise in your own home at any time.
Personally, I plan to try a little of everything I mentioned here! By using all of these resources, you will learn how to do things that you might not have considered before. For me, nothing bad can come from trying something new; I have learned I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to.
Now I will explain why this brand-new launch of Fitness is important. First, let’s look at three important statistics listed below about people with intellectual disabilities (ID):
- Athletes with ID are twice as likely to be obese.
- Athletes with ID are twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease.
- Athletes with ID are five times more likely to have diabetes.
Now I know those numbers can be hard to read, but that’s why you should use these resources and make fitness a priority! Just remember: Knowledge is power! The more we learn, the more we can stop those numbers from wrecking our health.
Fitness is a never-ending journey into the wellness of our bodies. There’s always something new to learn about how we can be healthier and give our body what it needs. It doesn’t end when you reach your desired weight. It’s something you need to keep on practicing and doing. The great thing about all of this is that athletes who might only have one Special Olympics practice per week will have many other opportunities to exercise and participate. This will keep them focused on staying fit, watching what they eat, learning new recipes, making lasting friendships, and performing at their best. I really hope you all are excited about staying in shape and performing better. What could be better than that?
