March 9, 2013 five students enrolled in Southwestern Community College’s Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) degree program attended a FUNFitness event in Charlotte, NC, sponsored by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and Special Olympics, Inc. (SOI).
The FUNFitness program was born out of the 1997 SOI Healthy Athlete Initiative to provide healthcare to athletes who may have otherwise been unable to receive specialized medical services.
The event was designed to assess and improve SOI athletes’ flexibility, strength, balance and aerobic fitness through various assessments. Assessment stations included goniometric evaluations of hamstring, hip flexor and calf flexibility; performance of sit ups and modified push ups and aerobic exercise. Athletes that were found to have a deficit in any areas of fitness were given suggestions for at-home exercises to improve their abilities.
Additionally, participants, their families and coaches were educated about the importance of overall fitness and the role physical therapists and physical therapy assistants play in maintaining and improving strength, flexibility and balance.
The PTA curriculum focuses on ways to improve or restore function by alleviation or prevention of physical impairment; through the study of human anatomy and physiology and the consequences of disease and injury. Graduates will be prepared to work in direct patient care settings under the direction of physical therapists.
First-year PTA student, Anna Curvin believes the conference reinforced lessons she’d learned in the classroom and helped better prepare her for professional work.
“(Because of FUNFitness) I became more comfortable working with that patient population; I’ve never worked with Special Olympic athletes before (and) getting two hours of solid practice of goniometry was super helpful,” said Curvin.
For more information on the PTA program at SCC, visit http://southwesterncc.edu/program/physical-therapist-assistant.
Students pictured (left to right): James Lequire (Franklin), Kelly Fox (Franklin), Josephine Miller (Biltmore Lake), Anna Curvin (Canton) and John Graham (Asheville).
