Special Olympics National Games

What a busy period I had recently! On March 10, it was Special Olympics National Games, and the first time screenings occurred within Healthy Athletes – Fit Feet. Last year I spoke of attending the Train-the-Trainer programme in Minnesota with Special Olympics International, for the position of Clinical Director – Fit Feet. The experience was a very enlightening one, and made me happy that I took on this position.

The athletes are preparing for World Games 2019 in Abu Dubai, and a number of them I spoke with were excited about the possibility of representing internationally. Oh, the power lifters were not to be outdone; full of jokes, promises of medals, and qualification expectations. They took their sporting discipline quite seriously, and there were loads of stories of world travels from past World Games. The lastest soca was sung by them and Bravo’s ‘Champion dance’ performed. Whilst all athletes were a thrill, the power lifters definitely won our hearts; and according to the soca hit by Voice and Marge Blackman, they were ‘Full of Vibe’!

Whilst I have a serious disposition at times, I can be a comedian too. So, the Fit Feet Screening tent had jokes all day, and this aided in making athletes relaxed and happy. I challenged each of them to do their best and wished them well on medalling. For the Closing Ceremony, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I saw a number of the athletes my team and I screened, and was heartened to see the medals achieved whilst getting reports about others. In talking about my team, we were small but dedicated. Given there aren’t many persons trained in foot health in Trinidad and Tobago, I was able to gather a few committed souls and I am grateful. They worked the whole day is the blazing sun assisting with screenings. I thank them and encourage others to get involved in the future.

National Fall Prevention Programme

The Stay Steady Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the Physiotherapy Association T&T, Springfield College, and Total Rehabilitation Centre Ltd. hosted its 2^nd Annual Programme from March 12-15. It was held at four locations throughout Trinidad and Tobago and was aimed at screening persons over 60 on their falls risk. I attended on three of the days, assisting with the process, and on one day, I was a presenter. Each day presentations were done by health professionals in the varied areas: Orthopaedics, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, ENT, Geriatric Psychiatry, Podiatry, and of course Physiotherapy.

Special thanks to The Stay Steady Foundation for inviting me to be a part of the venture. I learnt more of the roles of the varied professions and enjoyed the interaction with the participants. One of the goals of the Foundation is to generate data on falls risk in the over 60 population; I trust this would be achieved. Certainly, educating participants was successfully done, by giving them exposure to the varied health professions.

World Down Syndrome Day

A growing awareness is developing for this day. However, it is my hope that it goes beyond the colourful, mismatched socks, and extends to our awareness of the condition and the struggles that exist within society. Ask yourself, are you truly supportive of this group of persons within our society? Have you educated yourself as to the genetic makeup and challenges faced by persons with Down Syndrome? That said, check out my mismatched socks! Arising out of Special Olympics Screenings at National Games, I would be going to some of the schools to meet with co-ordinators and students alike, to get a better understanding of the foot health needs of the students, and do further educating on foot care, as this is generally a neglected area. With each intellectual disability, persons fall into the high or low functioning category. Soon I would be exploring some of these areas, and would be meeting with varied groups to promote good foot health and podiatry as necessities in the care of one’s body. Stay tuned for my journey; I’ll update as my volunteer work continues in collaboration with Special Olympics T&T, in helping those with intellectual disabilities.

The greatest take away from the Special Olympics National Games and the National Fall Prevention Programme was… that ‘Teamwork’ does it. At both events, it was a multidisciplinary team approach taken in educating and screening participants, by persons, all of whom volunteered their time. It’s a great way of doing health promotion, providing greater knowledge, and overall empowering participants to be a better version of themselves.

Your feet mirror your general health . . . cherish them!