UWL students help collect health insights on Special Olympics athletes

UWL students help collect health insights on Special Olympics athletes

UW-La Crosse welcomed Special Olympics athletes to campus Friday, Oct. 25 as part of a new, nationally-funded initiative focused on understanding how Special Olympics programs improve athletes' lives.

Through the program, Project ALL STAR, 30 UWL student volunteers from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Recreation Therapy programs provided vital health measurements for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who participate in Special Olympics programs.

"This event offers people with intellectual disabilities the invaluable opportunity to attend a fitness event with well-trained volunteers, allowing them to learn more about their health and contribute to the improvement of Special Olympics Health programming," said Hanni Cowley, a clinical assistant professor in the UWL Physical Therapy program.

UWL students engaged with athletes at various stations, measuring physical fitness data such as blood pressure, height and weight, waist circumference, strength, endurance and more. The day was not just about data collection; it was an invaluable opportunity for students to connect and interact with individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, noted Cowley.

Brandon Murphy, a Physical Therapy student who played a key role in organizing the event, echoed Cowley's sentiments. "The athletes seemed to really enjoy sharing their stories and experiences," he noted. "Taking a leadership role in organizing this event was incredibly rewarding and seeing everything come together so smoothly was a highlight for me."

Project ALL STAR, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aims to evaluate how Special Olympics programs impact athletes' lives by studying their health over time. Wisconsin is one of four states currently participating in this longitudinal health evaluation along with Arizona, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

The initiative was first launched in Arizona in August 2024. UWL served as the first site in the state of Wisconsin, and the university aims to make this event an annual or semi-annual occurrence.

Jose Martinez, evaluation coordinator for Special Olympics, initially reached out to UWL's health programs, recognizing the university's commitment to inclusive health training and its active involvement in the local Special Olympics community.

"UWL and La Crosse are excellent candidates for Project ALL STAR as they already promote the project's goals of understanding the impact of mental, physical, and socioemotional health on Special Olympics athletes," says Cowley.

State and national research investigators also provided support at the event.

"Project ALL STAR has been a great opportunity for the university and for me personally to connect with the Special Olympics organization," Murphy said. "We look forward to fostering this partnership in the future."

For more information about Project ALL STAR, visit Special Olympics Project ALL STAR.