Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s youth engagement programme Get Set has engaged with over 93% of UK schools since its launch prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Originally created as the official education programme for London 2012, Get Set now offers a broad programme of free, cross-curricular resources and activities for schools and community groups.
Aiming to support all young people in fulfilling their potential and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, the programme helps pupils to embrace the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect and the Paralympic values of determination, inspiration, courage and equality. Over 85% of teachers using the Get Set programme report increases in the motivation, self-confidence, teamworking skills and aspirations of pupils.
To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of London 2012 and Get Set, three-time Olympian Moe Sbihi joined three-time Paralympic champion Ollie Hynd on a visit to Curwen Primary School in east London to help bring the excitement, successes, and inspirational moments of London 2012 to a new generation.
Sbihi won Olympic gold in Rio and bronze in London and Tokyo, and counts three World Rowing Championship titles among his achievements. Last year he became the first Muslim flagbearer for Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony.
Hynd also competed at London 2012 and Rio 2016, with his own medal haul totalling three golds, one silver and one bronze. He is also a four-time world champion and current world record holder in his class for the Men's 200m Individual Medley and the Men's 400 m Freestyle.
Sbihi said: “It's hugely important to have initiatives like Get Set. You learn the rules of competition, you learn that winning isn't always a given and that you don't win every single thing that you play, but then that makes you appreciate the hard work that gets put in.
“Seeing the kids run around and have fun today has just been inspirational and it makes me want to get involved and be competitive! Having never had something like this for myself, I know how special it is for these children to experience.
"I just hope that someone in the crowd gets inspired to take up a sport and hopefully in 10 or 20 years' time, they're the people that are winning the Olympic medals.”
Moe Catherine Slater, PE subject lead at Curwen Primary School in east London, said: “Our school has been part of the Get Set network since its onset. Both staff and children love being part of the programme.
"During the last ten years we have been fortunate enough to visit all of the Olympic Park venues to either compete in youth sport or to watch world class sport, we have taken part in exciting programmes that engage the whole school, such as Travel to Tokyo and the Road to Rio, and we have welcomed Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes into our school to learn about their amazing achievements and successes.
“Today we thoroughly enjoyed hosting both Moe Sbihi and Ollie Hynd who spoke to our children, telling them all about how they became the best at their sport and that if they work hard that they too could one day become an Olympic or Paralympic athlete. The children particularly enjoyed seeing and holding their medals, they were surprised at how heavy they were and they had a great time performing a range of sports with them outside in the playground!"
Get Set have launched a series of resources looking back on some of the iconic moments of London 2012 to encourage children and young people to get active and try something new by recreating those moments. With flexible lesson plans based around athletes and volunteers from London 2012 who have inspired positive change, the resources empower young people to think about how they could inspire change themselves in the future.
In addition, Get Set has put the call out for nominations to the Values Champions Awards to recognise and reward students who have been exceptional in demonstrating Olympic or Paralympic values in their day-to-day lives, with the ten winners to be announced later this year and celebrated in an exclusive Values Champions Award book. One national champion will also win an athlete visit to their school and a signed piece of kit.
More information about the Values Champions Awards and how to nominate can be found here (primary) and here (secondary).
More information about Get Set’s London 2012 resources can be found here.