Friday, March 27, 2015

Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Initiative

Colorado resident Darwin Horan serves as the CEO of Ventana Capital and has worked in the development industry for over 20 years. With thousands of acres and square feet of land and office spaces as well as 17 subdivisions in the works, Ventana's portfolio is one of the largest in the state. Darwin Horan makes use of his successes as an executive in real estate to give back to his community, contributing to schools and nonprofit organizations like the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics were founded in 1968 after decades of advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. Since that time, the organization has helped those with learning and developmental disabilities grow in their confidence, fitness, and friendships. The Special Olympics emphasizes making health service provisions accessible to the underserved and underprivileged, and its Healthy Athletes program helps fulfill this mission by providing free health exams for its athletes around the world.

Within the last few years, the Healthy Athletes program has expanded its services with the Healthy Communities initiative. This addition increased the number of the program's available health clinics, broadened its range of care, and increased the number of people it serves. The initiative ensures health education for athletes as well as their families and coaches. Free health screenings before and after Olympic events are offered, and there are numerous accounts of athletes having their lives bettered after their exams caught illnesses early or discovered ailments that were treatable. With screenings offered in seven different areas of specialization, including vision care, dentistry, and podiatry, the organization's medical team can meet each athlete's individual needs.