The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) today announced the launch of the second edition of its hugely successful Olympic Movement Breaks, part of the OFI’s Dare to Believe schools programme. The initiative, sponsored by Allianz and supported by Olympic Solidarity through the International Olympic Committee (IOC), brings fun, energy, and inspiration to classrooms across Ireland through movement and sport.

The Olympic Movement Breaks are fun and functional active breaks designed for primary schools – a simple, engaging way to build more active minutes into the school day. Delivered through short 4-5 minute videos, each break can be easily played on a classroom whiteboard or screen, introducing students to Team Ireland Olympians, Paralympians, and high performance athletes.

Over the 2-week Olympic Movement Break Challenge which will run from November 17 – November 28, students will move, learn, and have fun while mastering key Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) – the building blocks of all physical activity. Across ten action–packed sessions, classes will explore and practice running, jumping, throwing, catching, balancing, and striking, all while celebrating the Olympic spirit and building confidence through movement. A national study found that a concerning proportion of Irish children (5-12 years old) have not yet mastered these key skills.

Following the success of the first edition, which saw more than 123,000 children nationwide take part, this second series features a new group of Team Ireland athletes: Fintan McCarthy (rowing), Orla Comerford (athletics – para), Sarah Lavin (athletics), Amee Leigh Costigan (rugby sevens), John Shortt (swimming), Nicola Tuthill (athletics), Gráinne Walsh (boxing), Rhys McClenaghan (gymnastics) and Colin Judge (para table tennis).

This year’s edition introduces something special – the Dare to Believe Song and Fundamental Dance! Created in collaboration with the talented Kabin Crew rappers in Cork, and produced by Garry McCarthy (GMCBeats), this upbeat anthem celebrates movement, fun, and the power of belief. The dynamic dance routine, choreographed by Alison Barnes from Mount Anville Primary School, brings the song to life and helps children practice their Fundamental Movement Skills in a joyful, creative way.

The new videos support teachers in bringing movement into the school day and can be used as part of a scheduled active break, or simply as a fun and educational tool to re-energise students during lessons.

Launching the Olympic Movement Breaks, two-time Olympic Champion, Fintan McCarthy said,

“It’s great to be part of something that gets kids up and moving, especially in a way that’s fun and fits into the school day. I remember being inspired by Olympians when I was young, hopefully, these videos will do the same for the next generation.”

Dare to Believe was co-founded by Beijing 2008 Olympian Roisin McGettigan-Dumas and Roisin Jones. Speaking at the launch of the Olympic Movement Breaks, the latest initiative from the Allianz sponsored programme, Jones said,

“We’re thrilled to launch the second edition of Olympic Movement Breaks after such a fantastic response from schools last year. It’s about making movement fun and achievable for every child, and giving them a chance to connect with real Olympic athletes who embody teamwork, resilience, and joy in sport. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of Allianz and the Olympic Solidarity programme, who help us inspire the next generation to move and believe in themselves.”

Mark Brennan, Head of Brand in Allianz Ireland, said:

“At Allianz, we’re proud to support initiatives like Olympic Movement Breaks that bring the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect into everyday life. Seeing Olympians inspire children across the country to move more and enjoy being active is exactly the kind of positive impact we are championing as part of our drive to stop children dropping out of sport in Ireland.” 

Registration for the Dare to Believe Olympic Movement Breaks is free of charge and all details can be found on www.daretobelieve.ie

About Dare to Believe

Launched in 2019, the Olympic Federation of Ireland schools programme, Dare to Believe, aims to inspire the young people of Ireland to ‘Dare to Believe’ in themselves through an interactive curriculum that explores the Olympic Values and includes visits with Team Ireland Olympic and Paralympic role models that bring the values to life. The programme now includes both Core Primary and Post-primary programmes, Olympics School Challenges, Olympians Live! Webinars, etc.

Dare to Believe is sponsored by the International Olympic Committee Solidarity Fund and PTSB.

The programme now boasts 44 world-class Olympic and Paralympic ambassadors who visit schools all over the country to share their inspirational stories of resilience and teaching students how to set goals and adopt healthy lifestyles through participation in sport. They have reached over 400k students through their various Dare to Believe programme offerings.