Prime Minister's Olympic and Paralympic Challenges
Background
Announced by the Prime Minister on 6 December 2011, the Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Challenges (the Challenges) were nationally delivered sports participation/education programs for Australian primary school-age children (children aged between the ages of five and 12 years) which encouraged them to:
- participate in Olympic and Paralympic sports and activities;
- increase their understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, sports and athletes;
- join a sporting club and continue their sporting journey after the Challenges finished; and
- enjoy participating in the Challenges.
Tapping into the spirit of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Challenges encouraged participation in Olympic and Paralympic sports and structured activities from 28 May 2012 until the conclusion of the London 2012 Olympics on 12 August (11 weeks) and the London 2012 Paralympics on 9 September (14 weeks).
Over this period, more than 42,000 children participated in the Challenges either on an individual basis or as part of a group, such as a class group, school, after-school care centre, sporting organisation or community group.
Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge
The Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge was a sporting challenge, based on accumulated activity time and the number of sports children undertook. Schools, after-school care centres, sporting organisations and individual children had the opportunity to participate in the Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge.
For the Olympic Challenge, all 26 Olympic sports (as well as 2016 incoming Olympic sports golf and rugby union) had a dedicated resource page with a history of their sport, Olympic results, an Ambassador with photo/video and inspirational quote and three suggested activities, aligned to that particular sport, that participants could do. There was close consultation with national sporting organisations to develop these sport pages.
In addition, the website featured updated news stories, coaching tips, safe activity guidelines and a series of resources for teachers/coordinators, parents/guardians and participating children. Resources were also available to help schools and sporting organisations hold mini-Olympic Days. An online tool was also available on the website to record all sporting activity during the Challenge.
Participating individual children, schools, after-school care centres and sporting organisations in each state and territory also had the opportunity to win sporting equipment vouchers during the registration period and each fortnight of the Olympic Challenge. A major prize draw also took place at the end of the Challenge with the opportunity to win a visit from an Olympic athlete. The total prize pool was $58,500.
The names of winners can be found on the Prize winners page.
Prime Minister’s Paralympic Challenge
The Paralympic Challenge extended on the existing Paralympic Education Program and encouraged children in years five and six to get active and be inclusive of others whilst learning about some of the unique Paralympic sports and athletes.
In addition, the website featured updated news stories, a series of resources for teachers/coordinators, parents/guardians and participating children.
All participants in both the Olympic and Paralympic Challenges were able to earn a gold, silver, bronze or participation certificate based on their level of engagement in the respective Challenges.
Results
The Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Challenges encouraged more than 42,000 primary school aged children across Australia to participate in sport either on an individual basis or as part of a group, such as a class group, school, after-school care centre, sporting organisation or community group.
Over 4, 585 children participated in more than 60 minutes of sporting activity per day as a result of participating in the Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympics Challenges.
During the Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Challenges more than 1,955 children joined a sporting club.
The Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge and Paralympic Challenge websites can be viewed at the National Library of Australia archive.
A full evaluation report outlining the program details will be available soon.
