Special Olympics Belize Family Health Forum 2023

At the Department of Youth Services in Belize City, Special Olympics Belize held its Family Health Forum 2023. The two-day event, which commenced today, saw the participation of the athletes, as well as their parents/guardians and supporters. The space was used to discuss issues affecting the three hundred plus Special Olympic athletes across the country. It also included sessions about mental health and wellness, diabetes and nutrition among other things. Chair of Special Olympics Belize is Doctor Maxine McKay.

Maxine McKay

Dr. Maxine McKay, Chairperson, Special Olympics Belize

“Our Special Olympics athletes, there is a cross-section of them mostly catering for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the country of Belize. They are located in all districts; age ranges vary and this forum is of critical importance to our athletes and their parents and their guardians and persons who support persons with intellectual disabilities and diverse abilities. This forum is specifically to speak to their mental health – not only for the athletes, but also for the persons who cater and care for these athletes. Their dental and oral health, their visual health, their nutritional health, bone density that speaks to indication of any injuries or anything that may happen with their bones and also diabetic health is very crucial to this health forum. So it is a plethora of things that we are going to address today as it relates to healthcare for our athletes, their family because you can’t exclude the family when it comes to how you care for these athletes. So they need to be abreast of how we take care of these athletes when it comes to the things that I listed.”