Beyond the Podium: Olympians and Paralympians Turning Passion Into Purpose with Grants Fueling Their Community Impact

As the world’s top competitors prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, many athletes are also channeling their energy into making an impact beyond sport. From expanding access to adaptive athletics and reducing financial barriers for young competitors to advancing early childhood education, Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls continue to champion meaningful change in the communities that helped shape them.

To help accelerate this athlete-led impact, the Athletes for Good program – supported by P&G and its brands in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) – is awarding $26,000 USD grants to 10 athletes’ nominated charities. With the Class of 2026, Athletes for Good celebrates its fourth generation of athletes whose charity partners continue to benefit from the program’s funding and visibility.

To honor these inspiring athletes, we launched today a new social media video series with the IOC and IPC that spotlights the 10 grant recipients and celebrates their powerful stories of service and the meaningful change they are creating in their communities on the road to the Games.

Here are a few of their stories:

Deborah Levi (Germany, Bobsled)

Partnering with P&G brands including Pantene®, Oral-B® and Gillette Venus®

Deborah partners with Initiative Zukunftsbildung to help modernize early education in Germany, working with educators and community stakeholders to bring 21st-century learning into daycare centers and primary schools. Her focus is on practical tools and training that build creativity, problem-solving, digital literacy, and healthy habits for every child. Support from Athletes for Good will help expand these efforts to more classrooms and equip teachers to deliver future-ready learning every day.

Giuseppe Romele (Italy, Para cross-country skiing)

Partnering with P&G brands including Head & Shoulders®, Swiffer® and Oral-B

Born with a lower limb deformity, Giuseppe has always experienced firsthand the barriers that many families and aspiring athletes face in accessing sports. For this reason, he collaborates with Lo Spirito di Stella ETS, an Italian nonprofit organization dedicated to removing barriers in society, engaging in inclusion projects and initiatives aimed at improving accessibility to sports for people with disabilities. The Athletes for Good grant will help provide adaptive equipment for introducing young people with disabilities to Nordic skiing.

Jamie Anderson (US, Snowboarding)

Partnering with First Aid Beauty®

Jamie became the first female snowboarder to win multiple Olympic gold medals, earning slopestyle titles in Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018. Off the slopes, she advocates for environmental and social programs and works through her foundation to expand access to winter sports for underserved youth in Lake Tahoe. The Athletes for Good grant will help The Jamie Anderson Foundation provide introductory snowboarding programs, essential gear, and support for young riders pursuing competitive opportunities.

The full Athletes for Good Class of 2026 list of awardees:

• Anna Gasser (Austria, Snowboarding) supporting Chill Foundation
• Audrey Pascual (Spain, Para skiing) supporting Fundación Tambien
• Camille Rast (Switzerland, Alpine Skiing) supporting Stiftung Schweizer Sporthilfe
• Deborah Levi (Germany, Bobsled) supporting Initiative Zukunftsbildung
• Francesca Lollobrigida (Italy, Speedskating) supporting Lo Spirito di Stella ETS
• Franjo von Allmen (Switzerland, Alpine Skiing) supporting Stiftung Schweizer Sporthilfe
• Giuseppe Romele (Italy, Para cross-country skiing) supporting Lo Spirito di Stella ETS
• Jamie Anderson (United States, Snowboarding) supporting The Jamie Anderson Foundation
• Laura Stacey (Canada, Ice Hockey) supporting LS7 Sticks In for Charity
• Oksana Masters (United States, Para Nordic skiing) supporting Sisters In Sports