“Tiger-Strong with Timi – Fit for the Olympics”: School Sports Action Week Kicks Off at the TUM Campus in the Olympiapark

This year’s School Sports Action Week kicked off with a large school sports festival at TUM Campus in the the Olympic Park. Around 350 primary school children from across Bavaria experienced a morning full of exercise, sport, and community under the motto “Tiger-Strong with Timi – Fit for the Olympics.” Alongside Minister of Education Anna Stolz, Minister of Science Markus Blume, TUM Vice President Prof. Claudia Peus, Dean of the TUM School of Medicine and Health Prof. Stephanie Combs, and President of the Bavarian State Sports Association Jörg Ammon, representatives of the Bavarian Sports Youth organization and successful Olympians Anna Schaffelhuber (monoski), Alexandra Burghardt (sprint relay and bobsleigh), and Dominik Klein (handball) were also in attendance. Together with Veronika Scherello, the handball Olympian co-hosted the event, which highlighted the importance of sport and physical activity in everyday school life.

The schoolchildren were first welcomed in BayWa Lecture Hall 1 by Minister of Education Anna Stolz, who emphasized the importance of sport for children’s development: “Children who are physically active learn better. That is why sport and physical activity are not an optional extra. They are 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, being there for one another, and growing together beyond our own limits. These are experiences that have an impact far beyond sport. Physical activity makes children strong – for school and for life.”

Minister of Science Markus Blume added: “Those who take part in sport are fit, fair, and hardworking – and learn skills for life. At the State School Sports Festival and throughout the School Sports Action Week, we can see on a small scale, and for our youngest participants, the enthusiasm that sport can inspire. For us, it is clear: The Olympics do not begin with a medal, but with team spirit and big dreams. That is precisely why our Olympic bid is about much more than a sports project: It is an invitation to the next generation. Many thanks to TUM – essentially the European champions among universities – for supporting the State School Sports Festival. The TUM Campus in the Olympiapark is one of the most modern locations for sports and health sciences in Europe. While records are being set in the Olympic Stadium, scientists here are researching what makes peak performance possible in the first place. Sport also holds an outstanding position in Bavaria when it comes to science.”

TUM was also involved in the event with numerous supporters. Prof. Claudia Peus, TUM Vice President for Talent Management and Diversity, welcomed the young guests to the campus: “I am delighted to see so many enthusiastic children on TUM’s sports facilities. It is a wonderful sign that, as a university, we are open to everyone and that research can only create real added value through exchange with society. Who knows, perhaps some of the participants will remember this day, and in a few years we may welcome them here at TUM as students.”

Prof. Stephanie Combs, Dean of the TUM School of Medicine and Health, highlighted the importance of physical activity for prevention: “Physical activity has been proven to be a key factor in prevention – one of our core research areas at the TUM School of Medicine and Health. From a scientific perspective alone, the School Sports Action Week is therefore an important event. But even more important is showing children that sport and physical activity can be great fun. I am sure that our students who are supporting us today will make an important contribution to this.”

The opening program was rounded off by the cheerleading groups from Rainer Maria Rilke Gymnasium in Icking. Accompanied by “The Voice Kids” finalist Angelina, they performed the songs “Don’t Stop the Music” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” for the primary school children, prompting thunderous applause in the lecture hall.

The school sports festival then focused on a wide range of hands-on activities in different sports, encounters with successful elite athletes, and a joint children’s run under the motto “Running for the Olympics.” The children were not only able to try out different sports, but also experience the joy that physical activity can bring when shared with others.

This year’s School Sports Action Week is taking place from July 27 to 31 and is dedicated to the theme of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It builds on the Declaration on the Olympics adopted by the Conference of Ministers of Education on June 11, 2026. The aim is to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the values associated with them tangible experiences for students.

The opening event at the TUM Campus in the Olympiapark highlights how important it is to inspire children to be physically active from an early age and to foster their enjoyment of sport. Science, education, and sporting practice can work together to create momentum – for an active school day and an active future.

Contact

Dean’s Office
TUM School of Medicine and Health
Department Health and Sport Sciences
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich

E-Mail: deans.office(at)mh.tum.de

Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: Matthias Balk / Bastian Daneyko