Twenty years of momentum: Allianz and the Paralympic Movement

Twenty years of momentum: Allianz and the Paralympic Movement

As the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games 2026 approach, Allianz marks two decades alongside the Paralympic Movement. The anniversary matters not just for the milestone, but for what sustained commitment delivers in the years between the spotlight moments.

As the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games 2026 approach, Allianz marks two decades alongside the Paralympic Movement. The anniversary matters not just for the milestone, but for what sustained commitment delivers in the years between the spotlight moments.

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. Parasports 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. Paraathletes, in this context, are powerful role models, demonstrating resilience, preparation and belief in what is possible.

The story starts in 2006, when the company first connected with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)and the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS). In that year, a group of German business leaders experienced Paralympic sport first-hand in Turin, which led to their participation in a social responsibility initiative that aimed to make Paralympic sports more visible.

Michael Diekmann, Allianz's CEO at the time, returned energized by what he had seen. This led to an early commitment to support the Paralympic movement, which grew year by year into a deeper strategic relationship.

As the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games approach, the anniversary matters. It marks 20 years since Allianz's journey with the Paralympic Movement began. It also shows what a long-term partnership can achieve between Games.

From early support to a co-created partnership

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, 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.

"When Allianz became our first International Partner in 2011, it represented a fundamental shift - from sponsors who supported us to partners who helped shape our strategy," says Nael Ogden-Smith, the IPC's Director of Partnerships.

"Over the past fifteen years, that partnership has been critical in year-round visibility. The consistency of their engagement through six Paralympic Games cycles and countless competitions in between has helped transform Paralympic sport from a niche event into a global movement."

That evolution also raised a practical question: how do you engage audiences with unfamiliar sports that broadcasters can struggle to cover as deeply as mainstream events?

One answer was to deliver education in a way that respected athletes and welcomed new fans. Allianz helped pioneer early Paralympic sport infographicsand, later, expanded this through Sports Explainers. The goal was to make disciplines easier to understand, especially in moments when broadcast opportunities were limited. The result was a clearer entry point for audiences and a more informed stage for athletes.

From Turin to Paris, and into the next era

While the Paralympic relationship began in 2006, the story now sits within a larger platform. Allianz's Worldwide Olympic & Paralympic partnership, announced in September 2018, runs from 2021 to 2032and builds on the earlier Paralympic collaboration. The partnership period includes:

• Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
• Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024
• Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
• Olympic and Paralympic Games LA 2028
• Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games French Alps 2030
• Olympic and Paralympic Games Brisbane 2032

As the Official Insurer of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, Allianz helps the Games run safely, quietly handling many of the risks that come with such a large-scale event.

Beijing 2022, the first Winter Games under the global agreement, was a real-world test that sharpened what came next, shaping planning for Paris 2024 and the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026. It also underlined a simple point: Allianz goes beyond being a sponsor by bringing practical know-how that helps the Movements deliver the Games.

Paris 2024was a key operational and brand moment that energized employees, deepened client engagement and extended the partnership's narrative impact. The Games drew over 2.4 million spectators to Paralympic events, and broadcast viewership hit record levels across multiple markets.

Milano Cortina 2026 is a chance to link two decades of partnership to the future and launch a campaign that resonates well beyond sport.

What Allianz is presenting

Allianz is the Presenting Partner of the Paralympic Torch Relay, not the Games as a whole. That distinction matters because the Torch Relay is a symbolic moment - a bridge between preparation and performance, and a public invitation for communities to participate in the build-up to the Games.

The topic of preparation as a defining moment is also the foundation of Allianz's Step Into Lifecampaign, which highlights the daily steps, the nervous readiness, and the decision to show up. Paralympic athletes live this daily. The 20-year partnership reflects the same principle: sustained commitment, visible progress and the belief that meaningful change happens between the spotlight moments, not only during them.

From athletes to communities: scaling impact beyond elite sport

A long-running partnership is credible only if it does more than celebrate athletes during major events. Allianz has increasingly focused on programs that extend the Movements' principles - inclusion, opportunity and resilience - into everyday life.

MoveNow: This global program promotes physical activity, mental resilience and inclusive access to movement, designed to support young people to build healthier futures. Guided by insights from Paralympic athletes who understand barriers to participation, MoveNow operates in more than 30 countries and stresses that movement builds confidence before it builds performance. In 2023, MoveNow brought together over 5,000 young people in São Paulo with Paralympic athletes for adaptive sport workshops, and launched a training video seriesto motivate people with and without impairments to return to sport after a long period of inactivity following the pandemic.

Financial literacy initiatives: Recognizing that many Paralympic athletes lack the financial infrastructure available to Olympic athletes, Allianz created financial planning workshops that help athletes handle sponsorships, career transitions and long-term security.

"Milano Cortina 2026 marks 20 years since Allianz first stood alongside the Paralympic Movement," says Eike Bürgel, Global Head of Olympic & Paralympic Program, Allianz SE.

"Over 20 years, we've grown from early support into a long-term partnership that elevates visibility, professionalism, and athlete support across every Games. Our work reflects the power of sport to unite people everywhere, transforming society into a more just and inclusive place."

The next 20 years begin at Milano Cortina

Milano Cortina 2026 shows how partnerships can mature on shared values and consistent delivery: helping audiences understand, athletes be seen and a global movement grow. The Olympic Winter Games took place in Italy from 4-22 February 2026, with the Paralympic Winter Games starting March 6 through 15.

After 20 years, the achievement is not that Allianz is still a partner. Rather 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.

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