Over 2000 students from around the country gathered at the National Indoor Arena yesterday for the 11th annual Dare to Believe PEXpo, sponsored by Allianz.

This is a key activation for the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s school programme, Dare to Believe, and a significant event on the secondary school calendar.

It is one of the most inspiring days of the year. To see the level of work and imagination that goes into the projects from 300 schools is to solidify your belief that the future is in safe hands.

The team of teachers and supporters that have grown the PExpo from its beginnings in Trinity Comprehensive in Ballymun can have taken immense pride in what it has become, and there is plenty of scope for growing further in the sports equivalent of the Young Scientist Exhibition.

Project

Sport for Business has been on the journey with them for most of the 11 years and we were delighted once more yesterday to sponsor our own award on a project with real business potential.

Dylan Leggette, a second-year student from Mount Temple School in Clontarf, was the winner of a project using AI to determine patterns in handwritten data and statistics from water polo, his favourite sport.

Technology, imagination and coding all wrapped up neatly and Dylan will now get to present his project at the 2025 Sport for Business Children and Sport Conference in September.

The overall category was won by CBS, The Green in Tralee, with a project on The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People by Julianne O’Keeffe, Karl Cronin and Philip Brosnan.

The junior category was won by Blackrock College, with a project on How the Loft of a Golf Club Affects a Golf Ball by Tate Tamkin Beddy.

Kellie

Keynote speaker Kellie Harrington delivered a powerful message to students: believe in yourselves. The two-time Olympic boxing champion, who has been a Dare to Believe ambassador since the programme’s launch in 2019, encouraged the audience to never give up on their dreams and to stay persistent in pursuing their goals.

The panel discussion with Dare to Believe ambassadors, Olympic medallist Philip Doyle and Paralympic medallist Orla Comerford, moderated by broadcaster, author, and secondary school teacher Emer O’Neill, centred on the topic of the importance of finding the sport that’s right for them. The discussion tied into the theme ‘Stop the Drop’, a campaign by Allianz focused on addressing the decline in children’s participation in sport.

“On behalf of Allianz, I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to all participants, organisers and volunteers at this year’s Dare to Believe PEXpo,” said Geoff Sparling, Chief Customer Officer at Allianz.

“As top sponsor of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, we are proud to support initiatives like this which foster a passion for sport in children, encouraging them to find the sport they love.”

“We launched our #StopTheDrop campaign in 2024 to shine a light on the issue of 1 in 5 children in Ireland dropping out of sport at the transition between primary and secondary school. Events like this highlight the numerous different sports young people can try, as well as showcasing the many career opportunities available to them through sport.”

With support from over twenty National Federations hosting stands at the event, more than 2,000 students had the chance to explore a wide range of Olympic and Paralympic sports and potentially discover the one that’s right for them.

Career Corner

Highlighting the wide range of career choices available in elite sport, Sport for Business’s Rob Hartnett led a discussion in the Careers Corner, with Bryan Keane (Olympian and Olympic photographer), Robbie Smyth (Team Ireland Physiotherapist) and Sowmia Sundaresan (Sports Researcher). We will cover what we spoke about in greater depth on Monday.

“PEXpo 2025 was unforgettable,” said the Power Pair of Roisin McGettigan and Roisín Jones, Programme Managers of Dare to believe.

“With almost 30 National Federations and sports exhibitions attending, and over 2000 enthusiastic teens diving into a wide range of sports, the energy was electric.”

“The student-led projects were nothing short of inspiring—it’s clear the future of sport is in passionate, capable hands. Thanks to the team at PEXpo and everyone who played their part in bringing together an unbelievable event.”

Further Reading for Sport for Business members:

Explore More of our Coverage of Children and Sport

 

SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE

This really is a day to savour and enjoy.  If you have never been, make a note to be there in 2026.  Honestly you will not regret a single second of your time in such enthusiastic company

WHAT’S UP NEXT?

The Sport for Business Children and Sport Conference will take place in September 2025 with more details to follow.

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