The Olympic Federation of Ireland in association with FBD Insurance has launched their new Olympic Schools Challenge, ‘Road to Tokyo’.
The challenge is part of the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s ‘Dare to Believe’ schools programme and sees Team Ireland calling on schools and families across the country to join them on an interactive journey from Ireland to Tokyo from May 4th to May 31st.
The Olympic Schools Challenge ‘Road to Tokyo’ offers schools across the country the opportunity to take part in a fun, interactive and educational journey with a host of Team Ireland athletes, as they begin preparations for the final months on the road to this year’s Olympic Games.
Schools and families can get involved by logging their physical activity and workouts, which convert to kilometres and move them closer to Tokyo each step of the way.
Getting Involved
They say you only get to really know somebody’s journey if you walk in their shoes so we are going to do likewise with a team of Sport for Business members looking to take on our own Road to Tokyo. We will have more details of that in the Daily Digest tomorrow morning.
There will be four stopovers en (virtual) route for all involved, where we will learn about the Olympics, Tokyo, and get some insights and pro tips from Team Ireland athletes. There will be spot prizes, challenges, and quizzes to make sure that all interests are catered for.
Our Sport for Business team won’t be taking prizes from off the table in classrooms but it will be a fun way to get involved simply by doing what we are doing by way of physical exercise.
Now in its third year, ‘Dare to Believe’ – which was set up with funding from Olympic Solidarity and is supported by FBD Insurance – brings the Olympics into the classroom for over 5,000 children nationwide.
The school activation programme is championed and supported by the Olympic Federation of Ireland Athletes’ Commission and was developed by 2008 Olympian, Róisín McGettigan-Dumas.
We sat with Roisín for the Sport for Business daily this morning as she shared with us what it was that inspired her as a child to go on to compete in an Olympic Final in the Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing, and what it was that drove her to create Dare to believe with her colleague Roisín Jones.
The programme teaches primary school students about Olympic Values and Olympism through a curriculum that includes over 40 of the approved education methodologies.
The new Olympic Schools Challenge ‘Road to Tokyo’ will focus on exploring the joy of effort and the wider benefits of sport and staying active, with topics like teamwork, visualisation, motivation and goal setting discussed on the way.
“This is a hugely exciting way to bring the Olympics and, in particular, this year’s Olympic Games, into the classroom for children across the country, and help build excitement for our athletes as the countdown to Tokyo continues,” said McGettigan-Dumas.
Dare to Believe
“Through this programme, we are really looking forward to showing children and others across Ireland that they can dare to believe, and we hope that this challenge will not only inspire them to follow their dreams but will also help to motivate them to get out there and get active. We are extremely grateful for the support from both Olympic Solidarity and FBD Insurance, which allows this programme to continue to grow.”
“As we move closer and closer to Tokyo, this challenge is a superb way for elite Irish athletes to truly connect with children across the country, and help them to get active while also learning all about the Olympic Games and Olympic values,” added Aileen Donoghue, Head of Marketing at FBD Insurance.
“We are really excited to follow the journeys across the world through the virtual tracker that will lead them to Tokyo, and we know that the Team Ireland athletes will be thrilled with their support as they begin their final preparations for this year’s Olympic Games.”
Sport for Business Partners
