Olympics Unleashed, presented by Optus was implemented with the goal of inspiring kids to unlock their passion and follow their dreams. The program utilises both Olympians and Olympic hopefuls as motivational speakers in schools, but Olympics Unleashed has inspired Australia’s athletes just as much in their own journeys.

You can vote for Olympics Unleashed HERE

Twenty-six-year-old Declan Stacey is one of Olympic Unleashed’s athlete speakers and after a successful career in gymnastics where he won bronze at the junior Commonwealth Games at 18, Stacey made the tough decision to transition to diving four years later.

Although he performed well as a gymnast and was “great at twisting, tumbling, somersaults and backflips” Stacey’s gut told him that his arms were too short for the pommel horse, therefore ruling him out of his dream, to represent Australia at an Olympic Games.

Against the advice of those around him, the then 22-year-old left behind a full scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport and took up diving.

Despite what others told him, Stacey knew that diving was a sport that could draw on his greatest strengths and provide him with the opportunity for Olympic contention.

It took starting from scratch and having to train with seven-year-olds, but his gamble paid off.

Two years after making the switch, Stacey won diving bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with teammate Domonic Bedggood in the Men’s Synchronised 10m Platform and is now a Tokyo 2020 Olympic hopeful.

Through Olympics Unleashed, Stacey is using his experience to encourage students to unlock their own passion, back themselves and follow their dreams.

“Being involved in Olympics Unleashed was a real no-brainer for me,” Stacey said.

“I’ve got quite a passion for inspiring people, especially young kids. I’ve been through a lot in my career as an athlete, have learned some great lessons and really want to give back and help others.”

The Wahroonga, NSW local believes that relatability is the key to helping these students find the confidence to pursue their own goals.

“I struggled as a teenager and didn’t make the best decisions. I was afraid of what people thought of me, so I feel like I am relatable in that way,” he explained.

“But now I’ve come out the other end and am living my dreams and there is no reason that they can’t either.

“I want to inspire kids to unlock their passion and not be deterred or put down by what other people think they should do. I want them to back themselves and create their own future.”

So far, Stacey has visited 11 schools across NSW, from Nambucca, to Coffs Harbour leaving an impression on both students and teachers as he speaks candidly about how important decision making and goal setting has been in his journey towards Tokyo.

“The main message I try to get across is around decision making. I talk to the students about how I personally switched from gymnastics to diving at 22, which is an age that most people would consider late to start a new sport.

“I explained how it was a really big decision for me and that they are entering a stage of their lives where they can start to make decisions for themselves that will lead them on a path to where they want to go and who they want to be in life.

“I also make sure they know that it won’t be easy, and you have to be comfortable with failure. 

“Success doesn’t look like an Instagram account, it’s not pretty and you need to be great at failing.”

As a consequence, Olympics Unleashed has also helped Stacey unlock his own passion, wanting to take his speaking to the next level.

“Seeing how engaged these kids are and being able to relate to them on a personal level is so rewarding,” he said.

“I’ll have students come up and talk to me one on one, asking for advice about things that they’re going through and I make sure they know that I was once there too.

“When I was younger I’d look up to athletes, not knowing that one day I would be in their shoes, so now being in that position where I can help them out is exactly what I would have wanted at their age.

“Personally, I just get so much out of knowing that I can help and inspire someone else and it’s something I’ve decided to do a lot more of when I launch my motivational speaking business.”

And the feedback from those who have listened to Stacey speak act as a glowing testament to his ability to inspire those around him with the Nambucca Heads School Counsellor praising both Stacy and the program.

“The students and staff at Nambucca Heads High were practically spellbound listening to Declan talk about his journey and some key concepts of passion, goal setting, commitment, perseverance, resilience, humility and failure.

“The kids loved wearing his medals, chatting to him after and asking questions which he happily answered, the only negative was that we wanted him to stay and hear more.

Concord High School's Year 9 advisor also agreed.

"I spoke to many students after Declan's talk and their feedback was really positive. His words really infused a new sense of self-belief and many said that they now have the motivation to push themselves more and work harder on achieving personal goals. The presentation was engaging and clearly highlighted that hard work, dedication, resilience and especially perseverance is the recipe for success."

There are currently over 100 athletes involved in the program with 936 schools registered and over 100,000 students having participated in Olympics Unleashed. 

You can vote for Olympics Unleashed HERE, until November 14. Voting will remain open until 30 minutes prior to the award announcement on the night.

Olympics Unleashed is free for schools, with the support of the NSW Government, presenting partner Optus and the Australian Olympic Committee.

You can find out more and register your school at www.olympicsunleashed.com.au

Liana Buratti