(ATR) New Olympic TOP sponsor Toyota wants to utilize the Olympics and Paralympics to spread the freedom of movement across the globe.
Toyota is gearing up for its first Games as a TOP sponsor that begin next February in PyeongChang, South Korea. In preparations for the event, the company has partnered with 19 Olympians and Paralympians to create Team Toyota.
Gold medalists Ted Ligety and Alana Nichols are two of the headline athletes on Team Toyota who are preparing for their fourth Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Ligety, Nichols and Toyota Group Vice President Jack Hollis joined ATRadio to talk about their goals for the PyeongChang Games and what Toyota’s sponsorship can mean for global sport.
"Toyota partnering with the Paralympic Movement speaks highly of the company and their values and their morals," Nichols tells Around the Rings. "It creates a lot of equality for the Paralympic Movement and for the athletes, but then also getting to the core of Toyota as a company about their human movement program."
As opposed to an automobile sponsorship, Toyota is a mobility sponsor of the IOC. Hollis says this redefined role can help the IOC and Toyota spread the vision for personal mobility across the globe.
"The idea of a human movement company is going a step further," Hollis says. "Taking the idea of mobility and making it personal. The goal is to be able to give freedom of movement to every person of every age and everywhere in the globe."
Ligety says Toyota's messages of global mobility and improving yourself every day resonate with his training for the Games.
"[The message] really hits home," Ligety tells ATR. "The reason I love the sport of skiing is about going fast and moving down the mountains and being in nature. Part of what’s driven me as a human is being able to get outside and enjoy the outdoors and activities.
"I think bringing that opportunity to more people is a great opportunity. Toyota is all about improving every single day and pushing our limits, and that’s what I’m trying to do as well."
The PyeongChang 2018 Olympics and Paralympics will be held from Feb. 9-25 and March 8-18 respectively.
Listen below for the full conversation with Hollis, Ligety, Nichols and ATR Editor Ed Hula.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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