Olympic Values

The Olympic Games have become a global celebration of sport and peace. Through a combination of sport, culture and education, the Movement uses sport to promote fundamental ethical principles and the harmonious development of all. (The related Paralympic movement promotes its own four values - courage, determination, inspiration and equality.)

The three core values of Olympism, central to the Olympic Games, are Excellence, Friendship and Respect. They are considered important in life because they make it worth living and help a person take decisions on moral terms. The textbook explains each in turn - and, in its order, begins with Friendship.

Friendship

Friendship is at the core of the Olympic Movement. It encourages us to see sport as an instrument for mutual understanding between individuals and between peoples all over the world. Friendship brings Olympic and Paralympic athletes and people from everywhere together in sport, play and competition. It breaks down barriers - encouraging individuals to look beyond differences of gender, ability, culture, race or religion. By welcoming one another's differences we build stronger bonds, and such friendships become the basis of connections within a community, for working together and supporting each other.

Respect

Respect lies at the heart of Olympism - respect for yourself and your body, for other people, for the rules and regulations, for the sport, and for the environment. Respect is in fact the key to strong friendships, fair play and sportsmanship. Understanding the impact of our actions, positive or negative, is an important part of playing a responsible part in our communities, and respecting yourself and others goes far beyond sport.

Respect includes:

• knowing that we can offend or hurt someone by not letting them join in our game (respect for others);
• listening to and asking for the ideas, opinions and beliefs of everyone - boys, girls and people living with a disability (respect for others);
• helping others feel safe from violence - teasing, bullying, and verbal, physical and sexual violence (respect for others);
• taking care of ourselves by choosing to eat healthy food and getting enough rest and exercise (self-respect);
• being confident enough to share and defend our own ideas and opinions (self-respect).

Excellence …