PTSB is programme sponsor and 15 new athlete ambassadors added

Highlighting a significant expansion to the Olympic Federation of Ireland Olympic schools programme, Dare to Believe, Permanent TSB has today been revealed as the programme sponsor. Dare to Believe was originally launched in 2019, bringing the Olympic Games, and the Olympic values to primary schools around Ireland. Today’s announcement also sees the launch of the Dare to Believe Secondary School curriculum as well as the addition of 15 Tokyo 2020 athletes to the programme, bringing the total of Olympic and Paralympic ambassadors to 31.

Over the past twelve months over 77,000 primary school children have engaged with the programme which has adapted to the globally changing environment. Since 2020 Dare to Believe has included hugely popular virtual challenges such as the Road to Tokyo, as well as a successful collaboration with RTÉ’s Home School Hub. Dare to Believe is an interactive ‘Five Ring’ curriculum teaching students about Olympics values such as respect, friendship and striving for excellence, and includes a classroom visit from a Team Ireland ambassador.

The secondary school curriculum is based on the same principles and has been developed in conjunction with teachers and explores important topics through the lens of sport. Aimed primarily at Transition Year students, topics that are addressed range from the positive impact of sport on society as a whole and well-being, to important topics such as respect, equality and hate speech, through the ‘Don’t Scroll By’ module. The curriculum encourages dialogue around key subjects such as mental health and racism.

The expansion of the programme includes 15 exciting new ambassadors who will deliver their story to classrooms, imparting insights on their sporting journey and sharing tips on how to deal with challenges, demonstrating examples of their resilience. The ambassadors range from Olympic hopefuls to Olympic and Paralympic medallists, including Olympic Champion Kellie Harrington, Olympic bronze medallists Aifric Keogh and Eimear Lambe and Paralympic silver medallist Nicole Turner.

FULL LIST OF AMBASSADORS HERE

Harrington has been a Dare to Believe ambassador since the launch of the programme in 2019 and is passionate about inspiring communities and schoolchildren around the country. The Olympic gold medallist is also a Permanent TSB ambassador and speaking at the announcement said,

"Through the Dare to Believe programme, as ambassadors, we can show them the power of believing in their dreams, and that if they dare to believe they can achieve something positive in their lives, be it an actor, a singer or a sports star. I’m excited to see the programme expand to transition year students, and think that this can make a real difference for someone out there.”  

Dare to Believe was founded by Beijing 2008 Olympian Roisin McGettigan,

“We are delighted to be expanding our Dare to Believe programme to secondary schools. We all know that there is a high level of teenagers dropping out of sport and this programme aims to address this and promote the wider values of sport; physically, socially and mentally. Through Dare to Believe sport is promoted as self-development tool for character building, leadership, connection to community and wellbeing.  We worked with TY teachers and students at every stage of the TY programme's evolution to ensure that the 6-unit curriculum is fit for purpose as an interdisciplinary life skills and wellbeing programme. Our Olympic & Paralympic ambassador role models can't wait to get into schools to work with this cohort and I'm sure they will have an incredible impact on the students they engage with.”

Speaking at the launch, Eamonn Crowley, Permanent TSB Chief Executive Officer, said: 

“The Dare to Believe schools programme has had a significant impact on communities across the country over the last 12 months, reaching more than 77,000 primary school children. We are proud to be able to support its expansion into secondary schools, to help to further grow that impact.

“Our community ethos is a key differentiator for Permanent TSB and like us, Dare to Believe is grounded in communities across the country.

“This is a natural sponsorship for the Bank as it goes hand-in-hand with the recent announcement of our landmark partnership with the Irish Olympic and Paralympic teams for Paris 2024.

“Everyone in Permanent TSB is excited about Team Ireland. We want to share that excitement with the many thousands of schoolgoers that will benefit from not only the programme, but from the opportunity to meet Ireland’s Olympians and Paralympians, who are an excellent example of just what can happen when you dare to believe.”

Speaking today, Peter Sherrard, OFI CEO said,

“We are delighted to have Permanent TSB’s support to grow and develop our Dare to Believe schools programme. Since it started in 2019, it has gone from strength to strength. The athletes have shown how powerful and inspirational their stories can be to children all over the country.

“Thanks to Permanent TSB, we have an exciting new secondary school curriculum that will see our athlete ambassadors engaging students through a range of stimulating and relevant topics that transcend sport - helping teenagers so much at a critical time in their development journeys.”

Registration for the Dare to Believe programme is free of charge and all details can be found on www.daretobelieve.ie for both primary and secondary curriculums.

Last week we officially launched the OFI Dare to Believe Road to Beijing, inviting school children around the country to join us on an interactive journey to Beijing, celebrating winter sports, Team Ireland and the Chinese culture along the way.

One of the goals of Road to Beijing is to get children active in a fun way, and to help them enjoy the many benefits of sports! To celebrate that we have unveiled a Winter Circuit Challenge with many of our winter sports stars contributing to an exercise video that can be played in schools for a quick fitness hit!

Sign up to the Road to Bejing by registering below:

OLYMPIC FEDERATION OF IRELAND LAUNCHES WINTER OLYMPIC SCHOOLS CHALLENGE – ROAD TO BEIJING

The challenge is part of the OFI’s ‘Dare to Believe’ programme

To coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of Team Ireland competing in the Winter Olympics, and on the back of the hugely successful Olympic Schools Challenge last summer, the Olympic Federation of Ireland has today launched Road to Beijing. The free online schools challenge will run from the 4 – 20 February, the same timeline as the Games in Beijing, and will bring students on an interactive journey from Ireland to China, celebrating winter sports, Team Ireland and the Chinese culture on the way.

Schools can create teams, and as the classes long their physical activity, it is converted to a distance on an interactive map which helps them move from Ireland to Beijing, passing Chamonix and Innsbruck en route, and unlocking videos and activities on the way. The online registration portal is now open REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL FOR THE CHALLENGE HERE.

Road to Beijing is part of the OFI’s Dare to Believe Programme and aims to open up the world of winter sports to Irish school children as well as teaching them about Team Ireland at the Winter Olympics and celebrating the Chinese culture. The 10,000km challenge is modelled on the last summer’s Road to Tokyo which saw 55,000 school children get more active while also learning about the wider benefits of sport and the Japanese culture.

Speaking today, Róisín McGettigan-Dumas, Dare to Believe programme creator, said,

“Inspired by the success and feedback from our Road to Tokyo challenge received, we were excited to recreate the magic and evolve our Olympic School Challenge website and curriculum to coincide with the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Students and teachers will be fascinated to learn about the life of Winter Olympians and be inspired to get active themselves by trying out the snow sport PE lessons & games. In addition, students will enjoy the variety of classroom cultural activities & crafts and we can’t wait to see their creations.”

Annie Colquhoun, Teacher at Christ Church National School, Waterford stated,

“This is such an exciting topic to start off the beginning of 2022. The free lesson plans and PE ideas are so motivating for both staff and pupils alike and it has created such a buzz of excitement within the school. “The free resources are absolute gems! The lesson plans are exciting and engaging for all age groups, promoting cross curricular learning within the classroom.”

Alpine Skier and Team Ireland Olympian Tess Arbez has been contributing to the Road to Beijing challenge, and is looking forward to inspiring school children around Ireland,

“I’m passionate about sports, and especially winter sports, and I’m really excited to see that school children around the country will be learning about our sports. Competing in Pyeongchang was a dream come true, and now there is an extra special feeling knowing that young people all around Ireland will be sharing my passion and backing me while we are competing. It will be a very special Games, and best of luck to everyone taking on the Road to Beijing.”

Sign up to get involved in the Olympic Schools Challenge – Road to Beijing  HERE

The OFI Dare to Believe programme is now in its fourth year and it 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 Beijing 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. Find out more here.

The official poster for the latest schools challenge from the OFI Dare to Believe programme has been revealed. Road to Beijing will run in schools nationwide next February, to coincide with the Winter Olympic Games. Modelled on the successful Road to Tokyo, which saw 55,000 students take part, the aim of the Road to Beijing is to open up the world of winter sports to Irish school children as well as teaching them about Team Ireland at the Winter Olympics and celebrating the Chinese culture.

To mark the reveal of the official poster, the Dare to Believe team have launched a colouring competition that will run from the 17 December - 17 January, with the winners to be announced at the official launch of the OFI Dare to Believe Road to Beijing Olympic Schools Challenge.

For more details on how to enter the competition visit the OFI Dare to Believe website.

Next week Team Ireland will be encouraging school children around Ireland to Get Active as part of the Active Schools Week 2021 campaign. This is an initiative of the Active Schools Flag where for one whole week there is a concerted effort to get children around the country moving!

For Dare to Believe athletes Sarah Lavin, Ollie Dingley and Anna O'Flanagan this serves as a perfect warm up session for the Olympic Schools Challenge Road to Tokyo which kicks off the following week and runs for the month of May.

Using sample games that were displayed in the RTÉ Home School Hub Olympics last year, with referee Kenneth Egan (Olympic silver medallist in boxing), and a host of Team Ireland athletes like Kellie Harrington and Thomas Barr, we are challenging children to try some fun games like Toss the Ring and the egg and spoon race.

Team Ireland is supporting Active Schools Week, which is the key part of the Active Schools Flag applications process.

Every day next week we will be sharing a Team Ireland challenge video so stay tuned!

Speaking ahead of Active Schools Week, coordinator Karen Cotter said,

“Active Schools Week is a flagship event for us in the Active Schools Flag. The initiative is about getting school children nationwide active, and to get them enjoying the various sports and activities that can help them achieve the physical activity goals that are recommended. We are delighted to team up with Team Ireland for this year’s Active Schools Week, along with our other partners – and are looking forward to sharing the daily challenges set by the Irish Olympic athletes, and know that they will go down a treat!”

Active Schools Week 2021 runs from 26-30 April 2021.

OLYMPIC FEDERATION OF IRELAND IN ASSOCIATION WITH FBD INSURANCE LAUNCHES NEW OLYMPIC SCHOOLS CHALLENGE ‘ROAD TO TOKYO’

The challenge is part of the OFI’s ‘Dare to Believe’ programme

The Olympic Federation of Ireland in association with FBD Insurance has today 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 4^th 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.There will be four stopovers en route for all involved, where students will learn about the Olympics, Tokyo, and get some insights and pro tips from Team Ireland athletes. There will be spot prizes, art challenges, and quizzes to make sure that all interests are catered for!

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. It 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

Speaking today, Róisín McGettigan-Dumas was looking forward to the new schools challenge: Speaking today, Róisín McGettigan-Dumas was looking forward to the new schools challenge: “We are really excited to be launching this new Olympic Schools Challenge for pupils, teachers, schools and families across the country, and to be inviting them to join us on the Road to Tokyo.  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 held build excitement for our athletes as the countdown to Tokyo continues. Through this programme, we are really looking forward to showing children across Ireland that they can dare to believe, and we hope that this challenge will not only inspire children to follow their dreams, but will also help to motivate them to get out there and get active with their classmates and families. We are extremely grateful for the support from both Olympic Solidarity and FBD Insurance, which allows this programme to continue to grow.”

Aileen Donoghue, Head of Marketing at FBD Insurance, stated: “FBD Insurance is thrilled to support Team Ireland once more with this fantastic new challenge. The Olympic Schools Challenge ‘Road to Tokyo’ is one not to be missed by schools around the country. 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. We are really excited to follow their 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.”

Also speaking at today’s launch, Team Ireland athlete Sarah Lavin stated: “I am absolutely delighted to be a part of such a special launch today with the Olympic Federation of Ireland and FBD Insurance as part of their ‘Dare to Believe’ programme. The Olympic Schools Challenge ‘Road to Tokyo’ is one I would have loved to have taken part in myself when I was younger, and I know there are many pupils around the country who are already counting down to Day One of the challenge on May 4^th. When I was young, my dream was to represent Ireland and to compete at an Olympic Games and hopefully, through this challenge and the ‘Dare to Believe’ programme overall, we can inspire the next generation of Olympic athletes and start them off on their own sporting journeys.”

You can find out more about ‘Dare to Believe’ here https://www.daretobelieve.ie/ and sign up to get involved in the Olympic Schools Challenge – Road to Tokyo here: https://www.daretobelieve.ie/roadtotokyo

The Dare to Believe Programme is a collaborative project which is supported by a number of stakeholders including the IOC, the OFI Athletes' Commission and the Irish Olympians, as well being supported by FBD Insurance.

Last weekend we had a number of highlights from Equestrian and Golf, with a round up of those medal winning performances from Eventer Cathal Daniels and Golfer Stephanie Meadows. This weekend will be another relatively quiet one, and we have also included an interview with Jack Woolley who is preparing for his first competition since the pandemic started. For anyone interested in getting the transcript, it is available on request.  

The Olympic qualification status of the athletes can be found AT THIS LINK which will be regularly updated. While many athletes are currently training from home, with little competition, see below a summary of sports which will see Irish Olympic hopefuls in action this coming weekend. This weekly update is provided in collaboration with the various National Governing Bodies, and the press officer contact details for each sport is provided below.  

Olympic Federation of Ireland Updates

Dare to Believe on RTÉ After School Hub Winter Games – Following last week’s announcement of FBD’s sponsorship of the programme several of the Dare to Believe ambassadors have featured on RTÉ’s After School Hub Winter Games. The aim of this has been to introduce younger children to the Olympic sports in a fun and interactive way.

Equestrian

Last weekend Ireland’s 2019 European Championship bronze medallist in Eventing Cathal Daniels (Galway) continued his preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games with a commanding win in the feature CC14*_S at the Portugal Winter Tour in Barroca d’Alva. While this event held a chance for some international athletes to achieve the qualification standard needed for the Games, it was not relevant to Ireland, who have already made history with full teams qualified in all disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Show Jumping. Full report HERE.

Golf

After a three week break Stephanie Meadows and Leona Maguire were competing in the Pelican Women’s Championship Presented by Dex Imaging & Konica Minolta in Belleair, Florida from the 19-22 November. Stephanie finished third on the LPGA tour, which sees her jump a couple of places to 38^th in the Olympic rankings. Leona finished T53, and also has jumped a few spots to 43^rd in Olympic rankings.

Stephanie Meadow credited the huge team behind her after matching her career best LPGA Tour finish with a third place result at the Pelican Women’s Championship.

Playing in the final group alongside eventual champion Sei Young Kim and Ally McDonald, the Jordanstown professional recovered from bogeys at her opening two holes to post a hard-fought one-under par round of 69 for a nine-under par tournament total and a podium finish. The result ties her career-best performance, last earned at the 2014 US Women’s Open and is proof that the hard work is paying off for the now 28-year old. Full report HERE

Swimming

Saturday (28^th Nov) is the final week of Swim Ireland Performance Athletes Time Trial Series. Athletes who have been training at the National Sports Campus, UL Sport and in Bangor will race against each other in the third of the series at the NAC. This is the first time that athletes will come together with the previous two race days held in their home pools as virtual races.

Taekwondo

This week’s interview was with Ireland’s Taekwondo star, Jack Woolley. Earlier this year Jack successfully secured Ireland’s first every spot in Taekwondo, competing in the -58kg category. In this interview (transcript available on request), Jack talks about some of the strategic decisions that were made when planning competitions that ultimately led to Olympic qualification, and also about the strides that he has made in his own training during lockdown.

Next week Woolley travels to Bosnia, where he will prepare for competition in the European Championships which takes place on the 10 December. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE.