The thousands of athletes from across the globe set to participate in Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 will be able to monitor their performance, keep track of their achievements and stay fit and healthy using the very latest wearable sporting technology.
Each of the 7,500 athletes will have access to the use of a state-of-the-art smart watch to use for the duration of the World Games. So far, athletes from more than 150 competing nations are using more than 5,000 devices and have commented on the positive impact the devices will have.
The watches, which come with a corresponding smart card, will help keep track of each athlete’s location, the number of steps they take a day, monitor their heart rate and provide a host of essential health, safety and sport-related data.
The innovative accessories mean the athletes and their coaches will be able to get the very best out of their training and preparation for competitive events at the World Games.
Lightweight and wearable, the devices will allow the coaches and medical teams to carefully monitor the health of each athlete by quickly and easily detecting any issues of concern, such as an irregular or prolonged raised heartbeat.
Many of the athletes taking part in Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 have specific health issues that require constant attention and care. Abnormalities in their heat rate, for example, are often the first sign of a more serious issue.
The distribution of these smart watches is an extension of the Special Olympics’ far-reaching health and wellbeing program that aims to improve the lives of the athletes before, during and after major international sporting events such as the World Games.
All of the data collected from the smart watches over the course of the World Games will be analyzed and used to develop specialized fitness and health programs to aid people of determination and Special Olympics athletes all over the world.
The devices will be presented fully-charged, ready to use and labelled with each athlete’s name and nationality. To get the very best performance out of their new smart watch, athletes should make sure their device is fully charged each day.
Trained staff will be on hand at sporting venues and via a help desk to address any issues related to the watches so that the athletes get the full benefit of using this innovative technology.
At the end of the Games, each athlete can take their smart watch home with them as a thank you gift from Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
Nada AlHashmi, Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 Data Integration Senior Manager, said: “Making sure the athletes taking part in Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 have the best experience, that all their health and medical needs are monitored, and they are able to perform at the very best of their ability is of the utmost priority.
“The use of these smart watches is a wonderful demonstration of the ways in which innovative, state-of-the-art technology is being used throughout the World Games to safeguard the health and safety of each of the athletes.
“Wearable tech such as this allows the coaches and medical teams to carefully monitor the performance and well-being of the athletes and quickly address any areas of concern.
“These watches are also a wonderful way to educate the athletes about the importance of staying fit and healthy. By being able to monitor their heat rate, daily step count and overall activity levels, they can make sure fitness is always at the forefront of their daily routines both during the World Games and when they return home.”
