The Special Olympics are one of the world’s largest sporting enterprises that is for children along with adults who have intellectual disabilities and physical impairments. They provide sports instruction and competitive sports to more than five million people in about 170 nations. Special Olympics games are in all probability put on nearly every day someplace worldwide with current exceptions through the COVID pandemic. It is estimated that there are about 100 000 Special Olympics occurrences a year. Involvement in the Special Olympics programs are intended for athletes cost-free. Those who have intellectual impairments are motivated to take part in the Special Olympics events as a result of physical activity, that has the huge benefits to decrease the rate of cardiovascular disease, weight problems and type 2 diabetes and also a lot of additional health and fitness benefits. In addition they have the emotional and psychological benefits that come with things such as self-confidence as well as developing greater sports skills with increased self-esteem. A variety of sports are on offer for example track and field, basketball, bowling, cricket and cycling.

The Special Olympics World Games is a significant event that is run by the Special Olympics committee. These World Games alternate between winter and summer events, in two-year rounds that recur every 4th yr. The Games were initially held on the 20th July, 1968 in Chicago, Ill. Around 1000 athletes from the USA along with Canada took part. Worldwide engagement and involvement expanded in the subsequent events. They were first organised outside of the United States in 2003, in Dublin, Ireland with more than 7000 participants coming from 150 nations competing. The latest World Summer Special Olympics had been held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March, 2019. The next one is going to be held in Berlin, Germany in June, 2023. The initial winter Games were held in 1977 in Steamboat Springs in Colorado, USA. The first winter games away from the USA was held in Austria.

Once the Special Olympics began to get bigger people that staffed them and volunteers that helped out at the games began to observe that a lot of the participants, both adults and children with the intellectual impairments in addition have lots of untreated health and medical issues. In 1997, the Special Olympics movement commenced an project which was named Healthy Athletes, that offered wellness screenings to participants in need of assistance during these competitions. The Special Olympics organization has developed into a significant force in the health care of people with intellectual disability. At most of the events quite a few several types of health professionals give their services as part of the medical or healthcare group at these gatherings. One of these who is very engaged is Mandy Abbott who is a podiatrist in Glasgow, in the UK and has played a task in organising podiatrist's volunteers during these events as well as arranging for podiatry university students to obtain experience participating at these types of activities. Mandy was interviewed by the hosts of the podiatry livestream, Pod Chat Live in which she discussed these events and how she got involved and just what she and other people get out of participating in the volunteering. The event is especially useful for students in education to be exposed to most of these issues.