Special Olympics GB Announces Jessie Pavelka as Health & Wellbeing Champion
We are excited to announce US lifestyle expert Jessie Pavelka (NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Sky TV’s A Year to Save My Live) is joining Special Olympics GB as a Health & Wellbeing Champion.
Jessie who is currently based in Los Angeles, is a well-respected health and well-being expert who has built a business and lifestyle based around his Four Elements of Health – Eat, Sweat, Think and Connect. By using these Four Elements, which underpin his whole philosophy of life, it provides a framework of how health and wellness – both physical and mental well-being - can be approached, maintained, and used in day-to-day life.
As Special Olympics GB’s Health & Wellbeing Champion, Jessie is working with our Athlete Leadership Team (ALT) including Global Health Messenger and Special Olympics GB double triple gold medallist Kiera Byland to develop a version of his Four Elements specifically adapted for people with intellectual disabilities to help our athletes maintain healthy lives. The biggest emphasis of which, at the moment, will be on supporting the mental well-being of our athletes as we help prepare them to return to sport and activity once it’s safe for us to do so.
Jessie Pavelka said: “I’m really excited to be joining Special Olympics GB and working together with the amazing athletes. My whole focus will be on how I can best support athletes to maintain a healthy body and mind simply by them using my Four Elements in their everyday lives. Even though I am in LA at the moment, I have been lucky enough to see some of the Special Olympics GB athlete’s in action via Zoom and I cannot wait to meet them in person to explore opportunities together. It is a real honour to be working with Special Olympics GB and to be able to give back in this way. I’ve seen the incredible work that goes on in the US and to be involved and help in some small way is a privilege.”
Michelle Carney, CEO of Special Olympics GB said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jessie to our Special Olympics GB family. To be working with Jessie represents a real opportunity for our athletes and volunteers to learn from a brilliant expert whose whole ethos is about taking care of your mind and body to maximise potential. The mental health of our athletes is just as important as physical health – even more so at the moment – and that will be a big focus for Jessie. And what is even more wonderful is that Jessie can’t wait to get to know our athletes, see their superpowers in action and learn from them. It’s going to be a win-win relationship with many opportunities for everyone involved and I’m looking forward to putting into practice Jessie’s principles myself.”
Special Olympics GB is a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round, sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and is so much more than just a sports organisation – it transforms lives. Through sort and our network of all ability clubs across England, Scotland and Wales, not only do we offer on average 27,000 sporting sessions per year, we, provide opportunities for our athletes to increase confidence, realise potential, develop physical fitness and mental well-being, demonstrate courage and experience new friendships.
Ends