Team Visa Goes for Gold: Largest and Most Diverse Athlete Roster Unveiled for Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020

07/07/2021

Team Visa for Tokyo 2020 is comprised of 102 athletes, spanning 54 markets and 28 sports

28 Asia Pacific Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls are part of Team Visa for Tokyo 2020, including two from Australia

Two Visa Employees join Team Visa as they pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams


With less than 30 days until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Visa (NYSE:V), the Official Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, has unveiled its full Tokyo Team Visa athlete program roster as it prepares to support and celebrate Visa’s largest group of Olympic and Paralympic athletes to-date. Since launching the Team Visa program in 2000, Visa has championed more than 500 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls, as part of overall efforts that empower athletes to be successful both on the field and off.


Team Visa Program for Tokyo 2020 - By the Numbers:

  • 102 athletes, including two Visa employees from Visa’s Olympians and Paralympians in Business Development Program
  • 56 female, 46 male, reinforcing Visa’s commitment to gender equality in sports, business and beyond
  • 54 markets, including 19 with Team Visa athletes for the first time (Argentina, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, India, and Thailand, among others)
  • 28 sports, including new sports: BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, and Surfing

“The resilience and dedication that our Team Visa Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls have shown over the past year is nothing short of inspiring, and watching them turn the uncertainty into resolve is a mindset we can all learn from,” said Lynne Biggar, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa.

Visa’s Head of Marketing for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Natalie Lockwood said, “We are honored to support Team Visa – and all athletes competing in Tokyo – in what has been a longer than anticipated journey for them, but will undoubtedly remind us of the exceptional strength and character that is required to get there.”


Shining a Light on The Olympic and Paralympic Mindset

The resilience and unbreakable spirit of Olympic and Paralympic athletes can be seen in experiences of veterans and newcomers alike over the past year, spreading messages of optimism and positivity while staying dedicated to their training to compete on the world stage in Tokyo:

  • Poppy Starr Olsen (Skateboarding, Australia) instead of letting the postponement of the 2020 Olympics get her down, Poppy took the time in lockdown to grow and build her business and also participated in Visa’s Where You Shop Matters campaign supporting small businesses in Australia.
  • Ellie Carpenter (Football, Australia) in response to the pandemic, Ellie participated in Visa’s Where You Shop Matters campaign to encourage her followers to support local Australian businesses.
  • Dame Valerie Adams (Athletics- Shot Put, New Zealand) joined other prominent New Zealander’s in a video to unite the country against COVID-19 and encouraged New Zealander’s and the Pacific community to get informed and get vaccinated. She was also part of Visa’s Where You Shop Matters campaign supporting small businesses in New Zealand.


Empowering Athletes Beyond the Field of Play

Visa understands the importance of supporting athletes at the height of their athletic career, as well as the challenges often faced when transitioning to the next chapter. Building off its 35-year Olympic and Paralympic partnership, Visa’s Olympians and Paralympians in Business Development Program (OPBDP) offers a two-year rotational program that provides access to a variety of business areas at Visa, as athletes look to explore a professional career beyond sports.

In advance of an unprecedented Games, Visa is making history of its own as it welcomes two OPBDP associates to Team Visa vying for Tokyo 2020: 3x Olympian Mikel Thomas (Trinidad & Tobago, Athletics) and first-time Paralympian Ryan Neiswender (USA, Wheelchair basketball).

To learn more about Visa’s ongoing support of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls, visit Visa’s Olympic and Paralympic Partnership page.

 


About Visa Inc.

Visa is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information visit usa.visa.com/about-visa.html, https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews.