Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today revealed that jumper Katerina Stefanidis, jumper Emmanuel Karalis and paracyclist Nikos Papaggelis are members of Team Visa for Greece.
Visa has been a proud Global Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for almost 40 years and the first global sponsor of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), having supported every Paralympic Games since 2002. Visa is dedicated to empowering athletes and in building an inclusive world through sport. The selection process of athletes for the Team Visa Program is based on their personal Olympic and Paralympic journeys, their achievements in sport and their involvement in the community.
THE Katerina Stefanidis, said: “It’s a real honor to be part of Team Visa once again as we head towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.” I really enjoy being part of a team that not only supports so many Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world but is also an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.”
THE Emmanuel Karalis, said: “It is very important that a global company supports me on my way to the Olympics. Your support is so important that it makes the preparation easier and less stressful.”
THE Nikos Papagelis, said: “I am truly excited and fortunate to have the Visa team by my side on the journey to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.” With Visa’s support, I will be able to prepare better than ever and take part in important events to achieve my biggest dream: to win my first Paralympic medal.”
THE Nikos Petrakis, Country Manager of Visa in Greece, added: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome the three distinguished athletes to Team Visa and wish them every success in the Olympic and Paralympic Games “Paris 2024″. Katerina Stefanidis, Emmanuel Karalis and Nikos Papagelis embody the values of hard work, self-improvement and endurance expressed by the Team Visa Program. All three of them are a source of inspiration not only for their athletic performance, but also for their outstanding characters and the principles they carry.”
The Team Visa Program
The Team Visa Program, since its inception in 2000, has supported over 600 Olympic and Paralympic athletes by providing tools, resources and support to achieve their goals. To support athletes to grow both professionally and personally, the Program provides financial support, assistance with philanthropic initiatives, financial education tools and mental health and wellness resources. Team Visa athletes are selected for the Program based on their personal journey, athletic achievements, community involvement and alignment with Visa’s core values of equality, access and inclusivity. The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to be the most responsible, inclusive, equal and spectacular event to date – and this is exciting for Visa as it offers opportunities to work together with its customers, partners, groups and communities to offer even more.
Team Visa for Greece
Katerina Stefanidis – Altria
The Olympic Games “Paris 2024” will be the fourth for Katerina Stefanidis who won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Her journey began at the age of 15 with a victory at the 2005 U18 World Championships, while at 18 she won the bronze medal at the U20 World Championships. While excelling at Stanford University, Stefanidi broke records and won championships. Over the years, she collected over 18 international medals, including European and world events, and was recognized as the greatest Greek athlete.
Emmanuel Karalis – Altis
Emmanuel Karalis achieved great success in youth championships, winning a gold medal at the U18 European Championship (2016), and two silver medals at the U23 European Championship. In his debut at the Olympic Games “Tokyo 2020” he finished fourth, while he won the silver medal at the European Indoor Championships. He holds the pan-Hellenic indoor pole vault record and has already been challenged to the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games.
Nikos Papagelis – Paracyclist
Nikos Papagelis is an inspiring athlete as he prepares for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. While he lost his leg to cancer at the age of 14, he became a member of the national cycling team, finishing 6th in the Track World Championships in 2019 and 2020. He became the first disabled person to summit Mount Olympus, in 2021, using not a prosthetic limb, but crutches. He won 6th place at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and two bronze medals (individual time trial and endurance) at the 2023 Road Paracycling World Cup. Last August, he won two silver medals at the European Championships in Rotterdam. It has already been challenged at the “Paris 2024” Paralympic Games.
Team Visa Summit – A course in creative storytelling
Team Visa athletes from around the world participated in the Team Visa Summit, a two-day content master class in Paris, led by content creators. The master class focused on brand immersion and best practices for how they can tell their stories within the wider creator economy. Mentored by cultural influencers and top social media creators, the athletes learned how to express themselves through these channels, while receiving practical advice on using social media to empower staff. brands and storytelling skills. Cultural influencers and creators were in attendance as athletes participated in content challenges and collaborative actions that included learning a new sport, composing a piece of music, creating street art and capturing emerging content trends in Paris on social media.
