OLIMPIADAS ESPECIALES HONDURAS, OEH 2018

Olimpiadas Especiales Honduras OEH offers children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition. There is no charge to participate in the activities. OEH is currently present in 15 departamentos (districts) of the country, although the main headquarters is located in Tegucigalpa. The activities are mainly carried out in the Complejo Deportivo 'José Simón Azcona' Villa Olí­mpica, the biggest sports complex of Tegucigalpa which has an athletics track, Olympic swimming pool, baseball stadium, multisport gymnasiums, tennis, football, volleyball, bowling courts, among others. OEH has its own headquarters built within this sports complex. The main activities of OEH are focused in the following initiatives / programmes: Atletas Lí­deres (Leader Athletes): It offers to athletes the opportunity to undertake active leadership roles both within and outside the sports field. Athletes help in Board of Directors/Trustees, organise competitions, train other athletes, help as speakers and make decisions on the future of Olimpiadas Especiales Honduras. Deportes Unificados de Olimpiadas Especiales ® (Special Olympics Unified Sports ®): It combines people with and without intellectual disabilities (called compañero unificado Unified Sports Partner) in sports teams to train and compete, drastically increasing community inclusion and using sports to help break barriers that historically have maintained people separate. Red de Apoyo Familiar (Family Support Network): It gives support to families in communities within OEH. Understanding the challenges of raising a child with disabilities, OEH has created a network to provide a connection for the families of athletes of Special Olympics. There are more than 100 networks in more than 60 countries. Programa de Atletas Jóvenes ™ (Special Olympics Young Athletes ™): An innovative programme of sports games for 2-8 year-old children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and developmental disabilities (DD) and their parents, designed to introduce them into the sports world. The benefits of this programme have been proven worldwide. First of all, these activities will help the children to improve physically, have a cognitive development and get on socially. This programme also helps to raise awareness on the Special Olympics programme and serves as an introduction to the resources and support available within OEH for the families and schools. Atletas Saludables (Healthy Athletes): It helps athletes to improve their training and competition focusing in their general health and physical condition. This is achieved through basic health check-ups, providing preventive and treatment services, educational information and care references for follow-up. Hidroterapia (Hydrotherapy): The use of water of the swimming pool with therapeutically purposes, either as a thermal way (heat) or mechanical way (jet or contact), helps for injuries or local or internal disorders; it helps people with cerebral palsy or other pathological conditions. OEH also organizes different fund-raising activities and raises awareness on intellectual and physical disabilities