Podcast "A Winning Mindset" celebrates 15 years behind the Paralympic Movement

Allianz has been behind the Paralympic Movement for 15 years – and to celebrate, the Worldwide Paralympic Insurance Partner has today released season two of A Winning Mindset, its podcast with the International Paralympic Committee.

Season two recognizes both the athletes, as well as the coaches, guides, family and friends who have sparked their confidence along the way. Featuring the likes of Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug, who won four golds in Tokyo and Sebastian Magenheim, the German wheelchair basketball star who is now embarking on a career outside of sport with Allianz, the athletes open up on a range of topics, with a focus on mental health. 

Watch a short preview clip below and listen to episode one of the ten-part weekly series – released today on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities –  here.

The first season of A Winning Mindset, which launched in August 2020, secured best podcast honors from the Webby Awards, Sport Industry Awards and Digiday Media Europe Awards.
A Winning mindset: Podcast series by Allianz and the International Paralympic Committee

Behind the Paralympic Movement for what’s ahead

Allianz’s own journey with the Paralympic Movement first began in 2006. We soon became an International Partner, before becoming the Worldwide Insurance Partner of the Olympic & Paralympic Movements from 2021-2028.

This season of A Winning Mindset is just one way we’re continuing to support the Paralympic Movement and the 15% of the world with a disability. Allianz has been a member of The Valuable 500 since the end of 2020, a global movement putting disability on the business leadership agenda – and as part of our commitment, we set up the Allianz Beyond employee network for disability inclusion globally. 

Preparing athletes for life after competition

We also  continue to hire athletes in countries across the world and additionally, have a team of more than 70 athletes across more than 20 countries as brand ambassadors. 

On a local level, Allianz runs an Athlete Buddy Program to give employees in various markets the chance to be mentored by an athlete, and athletes the chance to prepare for life after competition, as they explore different development topics together.

As we look back and celebrate 15 years supporting the Paralympic Movement, we also look ahead to continuing to get behind Para athletes’ hopes, challenges and needs through insurance solutions & services, mentoring, career opportunities and health activities. 

Millie Knight (left), a vision impaired Para alpine skier for ParalympicsGB -"A Winning Mindset".
Millie Knight (left), a vision impaired Para alpine skier for ParalympicsGB and her guide, Brett Wild (right). Millie is featured in episode 1 of the new season of "A Winning Mindset".

Paralympic Games in Paris 2024: A conversation with tennis pro Nico Langmann

Nico Langmann is a professional tennis player, competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in wheelchair tennis and a member of Team Allianz. In this interview, he tells us about his path to professional sport, how he organizes his everyday training and what he has planned for Paris 2024.

“I'm back! I'm a force to be reckoned with.”

Athlete Gesa Krause is a two-time European champion, has twice won bronze at the World Championships and holds the national record in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Most recently, she won the silver medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome at the beginning of June, just one year after the birth of her first daughter. Now the 31-year-old is about to take part in her fourth Olympic Games. In this interview, she talks about her training for Paris 2024, how she manages to juggle professional sport and her family life and explains why Allianz has believed in her from the very beginning and is a very special sponsoring partner for her.

A passion and profession

Eike Bürgel has led the Olympic and Paralympic Program at Allianz since 2018. We recently asked her about the benefit of this partnership for the Allianz brand, people, and business, and she shared the sports discipline she’s most excited about