Partnering to Break Limits on Movement in the UK, US and Brazil
March 25, 2022
2023 Update: Training modules for the Rexona Breaking Limits Program in partnership with Beyond Sport are now available for FREE in Spanish, Portuguese and English. Sign up to access the training series here:
CLICK HERE for UK and Global English Speaking
CLICK HERE for USA
CLICK HERE for Mexico (Spanish Speaking)
CLICK HERE for Brazil (Portuguese Speaking)
Since April 2021, Rexona (also known as Sure, Degree or Shield, depending on your location) has partnered with Beyond Sport on the innovative Breaking Limits Program to change young people’s lives through the transformative power of movement. Together, we partnered with leading sport for development organizations worldwide to develop a digital training series to equip coaches and young leaders with tools and skills to inspire confidence in youth to help them move more. Today, we’re featuring four of the program partners who created a selection of the training videos: The Change Foundation, Generation Spirit, Instituto Esporte e Educação (IEE) and Activity Alliance.
According to research by Edelman Data & Intelligence (2020), 64% of respondents across all Rexona markets are unhappy with their current levels of activity. 1 in 4 adults are not meeting the global recommended levels of physical activity and 81% of adolescents aged 11-17 are not meeting physical activity standards (World Health Organization). By partnering with organizations that use sport and physical activity to achieve positive outcomes, the Breaking Limits Program digital training series is working to change this with the next generation through movement-based programs across nine modules.
The modules were developed with the help of partners who used their combined years of sport for development and youth engagement experience to infuse best practices on social issues and ways to address barriers to movement such as inclusion, gender equality and access.
To date, the Breaking Limits Program has partnered with 36 leading NGOs across the UK, US and Brazil to provide young people with access to physical activity -based programs and help the NGOs expand their impact even further.
For 40 years, UK-based charity, The Change Foundation has used sport to better the lives of marginalized youth and guide them to a more successful future. They combine sports with long-term mentoring from “Coach Mentors” with real lived experiences as a vehicle to boost confidence and empower young people to develop big aspirations.
They helped develop Module Four: Engagement, which focuses on engaging hard-to-reach young people, including people with disabilities. The module was designed around the organization’s coach mentoring techniques, which are unique in meeting the needs of vulnerable youth and learning from a process of change to continuously improve methodology. The techniques were then fused with physical activity to create engaging exercises and activities to help develop self-confidence and resilience.
The organization also helped develop Module Nine: Disability – Improving Inclusion. The session helps coaches develop their confidence in delivering movement-based inclusive programming for young people with disabilities. Head of Programmes, Henry Glynn shared that within the UK, this group faces a plethora of challenges and in terms of opportunity, is one of the most disadvantaged.
“We’ve seen first-hand the power of sport has to create transformational change in young people with a disability and help them achieve their potential. If you focus on the ability and not just the disability – it’s incredible what can be achieved.”
The Change Foundation appreciated the quality of content in the digital training series and the combination of expertise coming from leading sport for social change organizations. “Knowledge platforms such as the Breaking Limits training series is essential for any organization wishing to continuously improve the way they engage with and support young people to achieve their potential and thrive.”
Across the US, Generation Spirit empowers high school students and develops school spirit teams (groups of students designed to build an active, cohesive and supportive student body at school athletic events) for students with and without disabilities. Over the past decade, they have worked with over 225 teams across 31 states to become more inclusive, impacting 20,000 students in total.
Sport can be a powerful unifier, but only if everyone, from all backgrounds and abilities, has the opportunity to participate. Since 2018, Generation Spirit has worked to provide inclusive movement opportunities for people with disabilities, which is limited across the globe.
The organization helped develop Module Six: Disabilities – Access and Inclusion. The session educates coaches on the physical barriers to movement and ways to break stigmas around disabilities, providing them with strategies for developing inclusive programming.
Founder Sarah Cronk said they were thrilled to develop the module to share diverse perspectives and experiences from the world’s largest and most diverse population, people with disabilities.
“The first step towards inclusion is education. We know that many organizations want to be more inclusive, but fear going about it the ‘wrong’ way, which stops them from putting their ideas into action. We wanted to equip organizations with the latest knowledge and tools to empower them to move forward with confidence.”
Sarah said it was rewarding to be part of an initiative that explores disability inclusion and offers resources to create new programs.
“What I love most about the Breaking Limits training series is that it offers perspectives and best practices from around the world. I’ve yet to encounter another training series that pulls from so many diverse organizations, experts and leaders. For organizations working with youth, it’s so important to stay on a path of continuous learning. This is a truly expansive series that offers something for everyone.”
Instituto Esporte e Educação (IEE)
Since 2001, Brazilian-based organization, IEE, has been implementing sport for education initiatives in low-income communities. They work directly with young people in the delivery of educational sport and are involved in training and upskilling teachers and coaches with their methodology.
IEE helped develop Module Eight: Gender Equality of the Breaking Limits program. Activities in this module give coaches, mentors and community leaders the chance to educate youth on inclusivity in sports where everyone has the freedom to move regardless of gender and beliefs.
IEE President Ana Moser noted that in Brazil the rate of physical activity among young men is much higher than young women. Part of the organization’s focus is to change this reality and provide more opportunities for young women and LGBTQIA+ youth to participate. IEE was proud to contribute to the training series and, in particular, to promote diversity as a power and strength.
“Many of our partners are aware that it is essential to include girls and LGBTQIA+ people. But not everyone can transform this concern with efficient actions to include these people in sport. We hope that this module will inspire greater inclusion.”
The UK’s leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity works with a range of partner organizations where everyone can be active, however, and wherever they want to be. According to the organization’s ‘My Active Future’ report, youth with disabilities are less active than non-disabled young people. Coined as the ‘fairness gap’, Activity Alliance aims to close this space within the younger generation by embedding inclusive practices into organizations and changing attitudes on people with disabilities.
The Breaking Limits training series reflects Activity Alliance’s vision of fairness for all disabled people in sport and activity. They helped develop Module Nine: Disability – Improving Inclusion, which teaches coaches and leaders about correct language to use when talking to youth with disabilities; shares a coaching methodology on improving the accessibility and experience of movement-based activity for youth; and increases overall knowledge on the different types of disabilities.
National Events Manager Jannine Walker said that the platform provided an easy to use and accessible option for deliverers to access in their own time, and gave them more learning resources for their partners and networks. “The Breaking Limits Program complements Activity Alliance’s work and is a fantastic additional offer that’s positive and easy to do. We’re promoting it through our networks to help others and build a bigger movement.”
“We cannot achieve [fairness] alone. We need people from a range of sectors to ensure they, too, are breaking down barriers and challenging attitudes. The Breaking Limits training series and the brand’s belief that movement has the power to transform lives fits perfectly with Activity Alliance’s values and goals.”
Our full list of Program Partners:
Activity Alliance
Coaches Across Continents
The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS)
Generation Spirit
Instituto Esporte e Educação (IEE)
The Change Foundation
The Sports Creative