Limitless Passion: Allianz celebrates 20 Years of Partnership with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on the Eve of the Paralympic Torch Relay and the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

With 11 days to go to the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and just hours before the arrival of the Paralympic Flame in Italy, Allianz celebrates two decades of partnership with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and its role as the Presenting Partner of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Torch Relay with a major event entitled “Limitless Passion– Allianz and the Paralympic Journey”.

Allianz has been a proud supporter of the IPC since 2006 and the Official Insurer of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements since 2021 and will accompany all editions of the Games up to 2032. With the event organized in the Auditorium of the Allianz Tower in Milan – which will also host the Italian Paralympic Committee’s Hospitality House in the city during the Paralympic Winter Games – Allianz aims to celebrate sport and its longstanding commitment to the entire sports ecosystem.

The President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons, the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee Giovanni Malagò, the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee, Giunio De Sanctis and the CEO of Allianz Italy Giacomo Campora, together with Allianz’s Top Management, retraced 20 years of Allianz’s commitment to Paralympic sport, the success of the Milano Cortina  2026 Olympic Winter Games, and the continuity between the Olympics and Paralympics, rooted in the belief that all athletes are equal, men and women of sport whose athletic achievements must be recognized and valued. In an increasingly divided world, Allianz helps unite people in peaceful competition at one of the world's greatest sporting events.

The event shows the continuity of vision, values, organization, and timing: on Sunday 22 February, the Olympic Flame was extinguished, marking the close of the Italian edition of the Olympic Winter Games that has already made history as the first widespread edition, respectful of local territories, with a strong legacy and balanced in terms of gender representation.

On 24 February, the Paralympic Flame will be lit in Stoke Mandeville in the United Kingdom and will arrive in Turin, marking the beginning of the Journey which – with Allianz at its side – will travel across Italy for eleven days, accompanying athletes and fans toward the Paralympic Winter Games from 6 to 15 March 2026. Underscoring the continuity of the sporting event is the decision to celebrate, in the same magnificent setting of the Verona Arena, both the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games and the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Giovanni Malagò, President of the Organizing Committee of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, stated: 

Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, commented:

Giunio De Sanctis, President of the Italian Paralympic Committee, added:

Giacomo Campora, CEO of Allianz S.p.A., stated:

20 Years of Partnership: Allianz and the Paralympic Movement

Some partnerships are defined by a moment of belief, taken before the outcome is clear.
For Allianz, this is how the partnership with the Paralympic Movement began twenty years ago, rooted in a clear conviction: sport can change lives. Para sports show how movement helps people build confidence and find purpose. They foster inclusion by creating spaces where people with and without disabilities meet on equal terms, learning, competing and progressing together. Para athletes, in this context, are powerful role models, demonstrating resilience, preparation and belief in what is possible.

The story starts in 2006, when Allianz first connected with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS). This led to an early commitment to support the Paralympic Movement, which grew year by year into a deeper strategic relationship. In its early years, Allianz' involvement reflected the time: the Paralympic Movement was still building global visibility, and many partnerships leaned heavily on patronage. But the relationship quickly developed.

Over time, the partnership with Allianz evolved from early support to becoming the IPC's first International Partner in 2011. That marked a different model: not just donations alone, but a partnership built through shared planning, service offerings, and long-term storytelling.

Milano Cortina 2026 marks 20 years since Allianz’s journey with the Paralympic Movement began.

Eike Bürgel, Head of Olympic and Paralympic Partnership at Allianz SE, commented:

Allianz has grown with the Movement and is preparing to step into the next era alongside it. That era will be defined by new challenges: expanding Paralympic sport in underrepresented regions, building digital platforms that make the Movement accessible year-round and ensuring that the professionalization achieved at elite levels extends to grassroots structures.

As LA 2028, French Alps 2030 and Brisbane 2032 approach, the partnership will continue to evolve — not by doing more of the same, but by asking what the Movement needs next, and jointly building towards that.

Activation of the Allianz Olympic and Paralympic Partnership in Italy

Allianz Italy has always recognized the inspiration behind its daily actions in the values of sport — fairness, competition, integrity, and team spirit — and therefore supports multiple initiatives and institutions in the sports ecosystem throughout the country. With the activation of the Olympic and Paralympic Partnership, this commitment has further and significantly expanded: Allianz Italy developed strategic partnerships with key national sports institutions, from CONI to CIP, from the State Police’s Fiamme Oro Sports Group to several Federations, and also selected its own “Team Allianz” Ambassadors among Italian Olympic and Paralympic athletes for both the Paris 2024 Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.

Valentina Sestan, Head of the Olympic and Paralympic Partnership at Allianz S.p.A., explained:

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

During the Paralympic Winter Games, the 47th floor of Allianz Tower — transformed into a welcoming mountain chalet — will become the Italian Paralympic Committee’s Hospitality House in Milan. Designed as an institutional and networking hub, it will be a space where athletes, institutions, partners and the media can gather to celebrate the values of Paralympic sport and inclusion.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place from 6 to 15 March: in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Para Alpine Skiing and Para Snowboard events will be held (Olympia delle Tofane), as well as Wheelchair Curling (Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio). Para Biathlon and Para Cross‑Country Skiing will take place in Tesero (Centro Fabio Canal), and Para Ice Hockey will be held in Milan (Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena). The Opening Ceremony will be held at the Verona Arena on 6 March, and the Closing Ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 15 March 2026.

The Paralympic Torch Relay

The Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation and Allianz have created a project that goes beyond the sport dimension: the Paralympic Torch Relay is a 13‑stage journey over 11 days involving 501 torchbearers — including 200 Allianz employees and agents — transforming Italy into a stage for inclusion and collective participation.

Maria Laura Iascone, Ceremonies Director Milano Cortina 2026, illustrated the Journey of the Paralympic Flame:

After being lit in Stoke Mandeville, the historic birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, the Flame will enter Italy tomorrow in Turin, marking the start of an initiative arranged around three celebratory formats. Five northern cities — Turin, Milan, Bolzano, Trento and Trieste — will host the Flame Festivals, large public events where the Allianz Village will transform urban spaces into experiential hubs open free of charge to everyone. The squares will come alive with entertainment stages, interactive quizzes on Paralympic values, and interviews with torchbearer athletes, while the Challenge Zones will offer inclusive recreational activities. The Educational Area, curated by the Allianz UMANA MENTE Foundation, will present content on projects supporting people with disabilities. Each stage will culminate in the lighting of the Cauldron — a moment of unity and collective celebration.

Allianz has extended the Paralympic Torch Relay to central and southern Italy with four Flame Visits — in Rome, Bari, Naples and Bologna. In these cities, the large Allianz Truck, equipped with LED maxi‑screens, will become a mobile stage, stopping in major squares where DJ sets, entertainment and the lighting of the Cauldron will bring the energy of the Relay to life, allowing torchbearers to share their stories of resilience with local communities.

Cortina d’Ampezzo will host the Union Ceremony on 3 March, a symbolic moment in which the Flames from different routes will merge to create a single Paralympic Flame. A striking transparent geodesic structure will welcome visitors and students to an immersive environment, featuring photo sets, game stations and multimedia content illustrating the values of Allianz and the Games.

The final phase will see Route Activation across the Veneto region, passing through numerous cities in the provinces of Venice, Padua and Verona, accompanied by the Allianz Truck broadcasting music, entertainment and emotion along the route, while the geodesic structure in the squares will continue to offer interactive experiences. On 6 March, at the Verona Arena, the Route will culminate in the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games, marking the official start of the competitions.

Stages of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Torch Relay