Jacksonville, Fla.—In training for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, athletes not only lifted weights, but strengthened their vision as well. The Vision Care Institute, LLC, a company owned by Johnson & Johnson, an official sponsor of the Games, created the “Achieve Vision Program” to sharpen the visual skills of Olympic athletes.

This program was initiated in response to a survey conducted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), done on behalf of Johnson & Johnson, which discovered that 87 percent of current Olympic athletes and hopefuls believe vision to play an important role in being successful in their sport but less than half of them received an eye exam within the last year.

Developed with input from a council of experts, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, coaches, sports trainers and academics, the “Achieve Vision Program” is a series of tests that uses state-of-the-art technology to assess an athlete’s visual skills. The program addresses how well an athlete’s visual system performs for his or her specific needs. The tests spans from computer-based systems to specialized exercises that can cause a person to work up a sweat. It assesses visual acuity far beyond the 20/20 level most consider normal, as well as dynamic visual skills such as hand-eye coordination, peripheral awareness, and reaction time

Launched in August 2007, the program assessed over 175 athletes and hopefuls from USA Archery, USA Boxing, U.S. Fencing, USA Kayak, USA Men’s Volleyball, U.S. Women’s Soccer, USA Softball, and USA Track and Field teams.

The Vision Care Institute also launched a Web site, www.achievevision.com, which provides visitors with information on optimizing vision and the “Achieve Vision Program” as well as a chance to hear the athletes talk about their experiences in the program.

Tairia Flowers of the USA Softball Team explained how helpful the program had been to her. She said, “Through The AchieveVision Program, I found out that my right eye was weaker than my left eye, which was hindering my depth perception when I was batting. I was fitted with a contact lens for my right eye and almost immediately my batting improved.”

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care provided vision services, including eye health education and contact lenses, to Olympic athletes, coaches and staff onsite during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games at The Olympic Village Polyclinic. The “AchieveVision Program” was also be available to athletes at the Polyclinic, where they learned how to maximize their visual skills.