School Sports Festival at the TUM Campus at the Olympic Park
Elementary school children embrace the Olympic spirit
The event offered a wide range of hands-on sports activities and a joint fun run under the motto “Running in the Olympic Spirit.” Adding to the Olympic atmosphere were appearances by mono-ski athlete Anna Schaffelhuber, sprinter Alexandra Burghardt, and handball player Dominik Klein, all of whom have won major sports competitions and took part in the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
The festival serves as the statewide kickoff of this year’s School Sports Week. This year’s program is dedicated to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and builds on the Olympic Declaration adopted by the German Conference of Ministers of Education on June 11, 2026. The initiative brings the Olympic and Paralympic Games – and the values they represent – to life for students.
The Olympic spirit shows what really matters: taking part, supporting one another, and surpassing ourselves together.
Anna Stolz, Bavaria’s Minister of Education said: “Children who are physically active are better at learning. That is why sport and physical activity are not optional extras – they are a core part of our educational mission. That is exactly what the children are experiencing today at the school sports festival. The Olympic spirit shows what really matters: taking part, supporting one another, and surpassing ourselves together. These are experiences whose impact extends far beyond sports. Physical activity helps children grow stronger – for school and for life.”
Markus Blume, Bavaria’s Minister of Science said: “Sports help children become fit, learn the value of fair play, and develop a strong work ethic – qualities that serve them well throughout their lives. The School Sports Festival and School Sports Week show, on a small scale and for the youngest participants, just how inspiring sports can be. Olympic dreams do not begin with a medal; they begin with teamwork and big dreams. That is precisely why Munich’s Olympic bid is about far more than sports. It is an invitation to the next generation. My sincere thanks go to TUM – the European champion among universities, so to speak – for supporting the School Sports Festival. The TUM campus at the Olympic Park is one of Europe's leading centers for sports and health sciences. While records are being broken in the Olympic Stadium, researchers here are investigating what makes peak performance possible in the first place. In Bavaria, sports hold an outstanding place not only on the playing field, but also in science.”
Physical activity is a key factor in prevention.
Professor Claudia Peus, TUM Senior Vice President for Talent Management and Diversity said: “I am delighted to see so many enthusiastic children using TUM’s sports facilities today. Seeing the campus filled with young visitors today is a wonderful expression of our commitment to being a university that is open to everyone. Research, after all, creates real value only through engagement with society. Who knows – perhaps some of the participants will remember this day for years to come, and we may one day welcome them back to TUM as students.“
Prof. Stephanie E. Combs, Dean of the TUM School of Medicine and Health: “Physical activity has been proven to be a crucial factor in prevention – one of the core research areas of the TUM School of Medicine and Health. School Sports Week is important from a scientific standpoint alone. But beyond that, it gives children a chance to experience firsthand how much fun sports and physical activity can be. I am certain that our students, who are helping to organize today’s event, are making an important contribution to that goal.”
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Every year, during the final week of school before the summer holidays, all Bavarian schools are invited to take part in School Sports Week under the slogan “School Sports Are Good for Bavaria!” Through this initiative, the Free State of Bavaria emphasizes the important role of sport and physical activity within schools’ educational mission. Schools are encouraged to offer special activities on one or more days, ranging from school or class tournaments, project days, and introductory sessions organized in cooperation with local sports clubs, to participation in the Federal Youth Games, the school swimming badge competition, and activities organized by sports associations.
Technical University of Munich
Corporate Communications Center
- Paul Hellmich
- paul.hellmich@tum.de
- presse@tum.de
- Teamwebsite
