Articles in Athletes

Athlete Physical Updates

When submitting an athlete’s Application for Participation, please keep the following in mind:

  • Athlete Physical Form – Any physical other than the Application for Participation in Special Olympics Iowa will not be accepted. This form is specifically designed for Special Olympics. Information listed on this form may not be listed on other forms.
    • If we do receive a different physical (example: school physical) that physical will not be approved and will be returned back to the sender, if possible.
    • If an athlete is transferring from another Special Olympics state program, we may accept their physical upon review.
  • Athlete Consent – If the athlete is over the age of 18 and is their own legal guardian, they may sign the consent but they must have a witness signature.
    • If the athlete is over the age of 18 and is not their own legal guardian, the legal guardian will need to sign the consent form. If the form is not signed by the legal guardian the physical will not be approved.
  • Verbal Consents – Per Special Olympics North America (SONA), we are required to have written consents only. Effective August 19, 2015, verbal consents will not be accepted.
  • Delegation – Please remember to fill in the delegation at the top of the athlete physical. This helps ensure each athlete is placed with the correct delegation.
  • Completion – Please remember to fill in all information on the athlete physical form. If all parts are filled in correctly, it will speed up the entry process and increase the likeliness of the physical being approved.

For legal reasons and for the safety of our athletes we have to follow these guidelines. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you have any questions, contact the state office at 515-986-5520.

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SOIA Athlete Competes in Principal Charity Classic

news-brian-rolek-principal-charity-classicSpecial Olympics Iowa athlete Brian Rolek received the opportunity of a lifetime when he was asked to compete at the Principal Charity Classic Pro-Am. A Pro-Am takes place before the professional event and joins ordinary golfers on a team with a PGA Tour golfer and, sometimes, a celebrity.

A self-taught golfer, Rolek held his own and even out-drove Champion’s Tour professional Jay Don Blake on a hole or two. Also on his team was NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton.

“It made me very proud to represent Special Olympics,” said Rolek. “I got to use skills I learned in Special Olympics such as how to interview and be comfortable with new people. It was great to be on the golf course and play as well as the other men. Special Olympics gave me the confidence and practice.”

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SOIA Featured Monthly on ABC Local 5 Midday News

Channel 5 News

SOIA athlete Tyler Leech (center) talks about the Unified Relay Across America with CEO Gary Harms (right) and anchor Elias Johnson (left) on the ABC Local 5 News segment on June 10.

If you have seen some of our athletes on the news lately, it may have been part of a new partnership between Special Olympics Iowa and ABC Local 5 News in Des Moines.

Since February, SOIA has been featured in a series of live interviews during the midday news. The segments appear on the second Wednesday of every month at approximately 11:50 a.m.

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