Paris Olympian and World bronze medalist, Grainne Walsh, has joined the second edition of the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s 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).
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.
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.”
Registration for the Dare to Believe Olympic Movement Breaks is free of charge, and all details can be found on www.daretobelieve.ie
Team Ireland Olympic Movement Break Athletes
| Name: | Sport | County |
| Nicola Tuthill | Athletics | Cork |
| Sarah Lavin | Athletics | Limerick |
| Grainne Walsh | Boxing | Offaly |
| Rhys McClenaghan | Gymnastics | Down |
| Orla Comerford | Para Athletics | Dublin |
| Colin Judge | Para Table Tennis | Dublin |
| Fintan McCarthy | Rowing | Cork |
| Amee Leigh Costigan | Rugby Sevens | Tipperary |
| John Shortt | Swimming | Galway |