Dare To Believe PEXpo 2025 enjoys record turnout

Today, over 2000 students from around the country gathered at the National Indoor Arena for the 11^th annual Dare to Believe PEXpo, sponsored by Allianz. This is a key activation for the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s school programme, Dare to Believe, and a significant event on the secondary school calendar.

The overall category was won by CBS, The Green in Tralee, with a project on The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People, by Julianne O’Keeffe, Karl Cronin and Philip Brosnan. The junior category was won by Blackrock College, with a project on How the Loft of a Golf Club Affects a Golf Ball by Tate Tamkin Beddy.

Keynote speaker Kellie Harrington delivered a powerful message to students: believe in yourselves. The two-time Olympic boxing champion, who has been a Dare to Believe ambassador since the programme’s launch in 2019, encouraged the audience to never give up on their dreams and to stay persistent in pursuing their goals.

The panel discussion with Dare to Believe ambassadors, Olympic medallist Philip Doyle and Paralympic medallist Orla Comerford, moderated by broadcaster, author, and secondary school teacher Emer O’Neill, centred on the topic of the importance of finding the sport that’s right for them. The discussion tied into the theme ‘Stop the Drop’, a campaign by Allianz focused on addressing the decline in children’s participation in sport.

The event was developed in association with the Physical Education Association of Ireland. It is modelled on the Young Scientist Exhibition, with secondary students nationwide submitting projects on topics that showcase their understanding of the science behind sport, and its wider benefits.

Over 270 projects were submitted under various themes related to sporting activities and healthy living, with the winners were announced on the day, presented by Doyle and Comerford, alongside Chief Customer Officer with Allianz, Geoff Sparling, Sean Doolin, Customer Relationship Executive at Allianz and President of the PE Association of Ireland Brendan O’Keeffe.

Sparling extended his congratulations to all involved,

“On behalf of Allianz, I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to all participants, organisers and volunteers at this year’s Dare to Believe PEXpo. As top sponsor of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, we are proud to support initiatives like this which foster a passion for sport in children, encouraging them to find the sport they love.

“We launched our #StopTheDrop campaign in 2024 to shine a light on the issue of 1 in 5 children in Ireland dropping out of sport at the transition between primary and secondary school. Events like this highlight the numerous different sports young people can try, as well as showcasing the many career opportunities available to them through sport.”

With support from over twenty National Federations hosting stands at the event, more than 2,000 students had the chance to explore a wide range of Olympic and Paralympic sports and potentially discover the one that’s right for them.

Highlighting the wide range of career choices available in elite sport, Sport for Business’s Rob Hartnett led a discussion in the Careers Corner, with Bryan Keane (Olympian and Olympic photographer), Robbie Smyth (Team Ireland Physiotherapist) and Sowmia Sundaresan (Sports Researcher).

Dare to Believe Programme Managers, Roisin McGettigan and Roisin Jones were delighted with the turnout at the event,

“PEXpo 2025 was unforgettable. With almost 30 National Federations and sports exhibitions attending, and over 2000 enthusiastic teens diving into a wide range of sports, the energy was electric. The student-led projects were nothing short of inspiring—it’s clear the future of sport is in passionate, capable hands. Thanks to the team at PEXpo and everyone who played their part in bringing together an unbelievable event.”

The category winners were:

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