Sidney Kimmel Medical College Faculty Serves as U.S. Team Physician at the Special Olympics

My journey as a team physician for this year’s Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, began over a decade ago. At the time, I heard about an after-school basketball practice for the Special Olympics and brought my daughter, Callie, to check it out.

She has Down syndrome and just started walking at age 3. From the moment Callie started practicing, I saw how Special Olympics enriches the lives of its athletes and volunteers with its focus on inclusion and the power of sport.

Fast forward to 2018. As I prepared to launch the Jefferson FAB Center for Complex Care, I sought ways to better understand the community we would serve—primary care for patients with complex childhood-onset conditions and their families. One of my first calls went to Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA).

Since then, we’ve cared for many Special Olympics athletes in our practice and engaged with SOPA in numerous educational and volunteer initiatives. Through this partnership, students and faculty members from multiple disciplines—including family medicine, sports medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation—at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health have learned how to better care for and appreciate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I was humbled to be nominated by SOPA and selected to be part of the five-person Special Olympics USA medical team for the World Games. Consisting of physicians and athletic trainers, our team prepped with the local Italian medical team to make sure we understood the athletes’ complex medical conditions and would ensure the health and well-being of athletes, coaches and staff.

In March, I left for Italy, where 1,500 athletes from 100 countries engaged in eight sports over an extraordinary week.

I will never forget the Opening Ceremony, walking in with the parade of international athletes and seeing the Flame of Hope enter the arena. They recited the Special Olympics athlete oath, first shared by founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

The next morning, I set off to the Italian Alps in Sestriere, where I spent most of my time with the Alpine skiing team. The altitude, terrain and weather created challenging conditions, and as the team came off the slopes on the first day, it became clear one athlete needed medical assistance.

Before long, I found myself in the back of an Italian ambulance with the athlete, heading down the Alps to an ER in the small town of Pinerolo. From the intake to exam room to CT scan, I saw how medicine is truly a universal language. After IV fluids and amazing Italian potatoes, the athlete was discharged and we headed back (slowly).

An unexpected snowstorm delayed our return, but thanks to our cab driver, a series of Italian innkeepers and the Special Olympics management team, we finally returned in time for the athlete to ski again.

The week sped by in an exhausting blur. Athletes got back up after crashes, illnesses and disappointments. I met Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro, SOPA CEO Matt Aaron and an Italian orthopedist who cared for our patients and skied out of the medical tent at the end of his shift.

At times, other duties as assigned felt more important than doctoring. I carried skis, poured water and energy drinks, gave out snacks, and lent an ear or shoulder to athletes missing home or struggling with their performance. I cheered for unexpected gold medals, negotiated for steroids and antibiotics for sick athletes, and participated in impromptu dance parties at the base of the mountains when the team needed a morale boost.

I was grateful for the photo ops and terrific conversations generated by “Flat Maggie,” a likeness of the College of Nursing’s Chief Compassion Officer. I’m also beyond thankful for the support of Jefferson, the FAB Center team and my family for allowing me to participate in this great adventure.

For my students, I want to remind them not to underestimate those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Yes, they might need help getting on their ski boots, but they fly once they hit the mountain. Just because one task may be challenging doesn’t mean they can’t tackle something else.

Special Olympics does wonderful work worldwide to foster inclusion and inclusive healthcare. I felt honored to participate, and I hope the experience will open doors for greater understanding of these amazing athletes.

Dr. Mary Stephens is a professor of family and community medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and co-director of the Jefferson FAB Center for Complex Care.