Mental Fit Path wants to make children and young people strong

In a simple, playful way, children and young people in particular are given tips at eight stations on how to deal with mental problems such as isolation and anxiety. In addition, various sporting exercises by role models from sport and science are presented to them at the locations via QR code to motivate them to exercise more.

‘I was delighted to take on the patronage of this project. During the coronavirus years, children and young people in particular have suffered from the measures, both physically and mentally. The Mental Fit Path is a low-threshold offer to make young people strong so that they can better deal with the challenges of our time,' says Mayor and Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Olympic Park Munich GmbH, Verena Dietl.

And Olympic Park Director Marion Schöne adds: ‘The younger generation is close to our hearts. We see it as one of our tasks to offer them interesting and age-appropriate programmes that cater to their needs. That's why we're delighted to be able to offer the Mental Fit Path at the Olympic Park in collaboration with Handballcampus München and the Handschlag project. Social sustainability, responsibility and enthusiasm are part of our company's values and this project is one hundred per cent in line with them.’

The boards on the course are designed so that the video instructions can be accessed very easily via QR codes. In the short clips, a sporting exercise and mental support for the individual personalities are displayed via smartphone. If no smartphone is available, the individual exercises can also be followed ‘analogue’ via printed photo instructions. Among the role models whose expertise from decades of experience is passed on to the young people at the Olympic Park are three-time Champions League winner and 2007 handball world champion Dominik Klein: ‘As a former professional athlete, I am the captain of the first Mental Fit Path team in Germany. We all pass on experiences that should help other people to be fitter and mentally stronger in life. The Handballcampus wants to inspire children to be more active, so the Mental Fit Path initiative fits in perfectly with our philosophy.’

Other personalities who have committed themselves to the Mental Fit Path include ski mountaineer and cyclist Antonia Niedermeier, mountain endurance athlete and sports scientist Gela Allmann, para-ski racer Gerd Schönfelder, Germany's best climbers Thomas and Alexander Huber, sports scientist and coach Johannes Grasser, decathlon world champion Niklas Kaul and Prof. Dr Martin Halle, sports physician, cardiologist and internist.

Photo credit: Olympic Park Munich/hangenfoto

Caption: Handball world champion Dominik Klein shares his experiences to help people get fitter and mentally stronger in life.