Where Hearing Meets the Heart of the Game

Meet Healthy Hearing Clinical Director, Dr. Lori Pinkham

April 21, 2026

At a Special Olympics New Hampshire event, there’s a rhythm to everything.

The starting whistle.
The cheers from the sidelines.
The stories athletes can’t wait to tell you about their events and medals.

And just a few steps away from the competition, there’s another kind of listening happening—one that can make all the difference.

That’s where you’ll find Lori Pinkham, helping ensure athletes aren’t just part of the moment—but fully able to experience it.

More Than a Hearing Screening

Through the Healthy Hearing discipline of Healthy Athletes, athletes receive comprehensive hearing screenings—an important first step in identifying potential concerns and connecting them with the care they may need beyond the event.

The goal is simple, but powerful:
To help athletes better understand their hearing health, identify any potential issues, and ensure they have a path forward if follow-up care is needed.

Because being able to hear clearly isn’t just about health—it’s about connection, communication, and confidence.

A “Yes” That Turned Into 20 Years

Lori didn’t set out to become a Clinical Director.

About 20 years ago, she received an email looking for audiologists willing to supervise students providing hearing screenings at a Special Olympics event.

It sounded like it might be fun.

She was right.

She showed up to that first event—and never really left.

Since then, she’s taken on a variety of roles, from volunteering at local events to helping with track registration and even serving as a bocce judge. Today, she leads the Healthy Hearing discipline as Clinical Director, guiding both screenings and the next generation of clinicians.

“You Can’t Have a Bad Day Here”

Ask Lori what keeps her coming back, and her answer is immediate:

The athletes.

“They are all so amazing,” she says. “I tell my student volunteers they will be smiling all day.”

It’s not just something she says—it’s something she’s seen, year after year.

There’s a kind of energy at these events that sticks with you. The kind that turns a volunteer opportunity into something you circle on your calendar.

In Lori’s words?

“Special Olympics is better than Christmas. It’s my favorite day of the year.”

Listening Beyond the Screening

In her full-time role, Lori serves as an audiologist at the Manchester VA Medical Center, where she has worked for more than two decades.

While her day-to-day work focuses on serving veterans, Healthy Athletes provides a different kind of opportunity—one rooted in access.

It brings together multiple disciplines in one place, allowing athletes to receive screenings and care they might not otherwise have access to.

“It’s amazing that athletes can get screened for so many things in one place,” she says.

And for many, that moment is the start of something bigger—a next step, a referral, or simply a better understanding of their health.

The Moments That Make It Matter

For Lori, it’s not just one story that stands out.

It’s the conversations. The excitement. The way athletes light up when they talk about their events and proudly show off their medals.

“I love talking to all the athletes and hearing all about their events and medals,” she says.

And then there are the connections that grow over time—the familiar faces she looks forward to seeing each year. Athletes like Patrick Moynihan from the Keene Special Olympics local program.

“His smile, friendliness, and positive attitude are contagious,” she says.

It’s those moments—small, genuine, and repeated over time—that turn a single day into something unforgettable.

Why Healthy Hearing Matters

Healthy Hearing is about more than identifying hearing issues.

It’s about making sure athletes can fully engage—in conversations, in competition, and in the world around them.

It’s about removing barriers that often go unseen.

And it’s about creating an experience where clinicians and volunteers walk away just as impacted as the athletes they serve.

As Lori tells others in her field: come once, and you’ll want to come back.

Don’t Miss a Moment

At Summer Games, there’s a lot to take in—the cheers, the conversations, the celebrations.

Healthy Athletes helps make sure athletes don’t miss any of it.

Stop by Healthy Hearing to take a closer look at your hearing health, connect with clinicians, and be part of an experience that supports you beyond the competition.

Because every moment matters—and every athlete deserves to be part of it.