Eli Lilly and Company has announced its roster of Team USA athletes headed to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, “reaffirming its mission to support athletes’ holistic health, resilience and translate their achievements into meaningful impact for communities across the country,” the company said in a statement.
The company is backing a group of seven US Olympians and Paralympians whose careers reflect not only elite performance but also powerful personal stories shaped by health challenges and perseverance.
Among the athletes named are celebrated competitors such as bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, figure skater Madison Chock, speedskater Erin Jackson, snowboarder Maddie Mastro, alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, Para Nordic ski and biathlon star Oksana Masters and sled hockey player Jack Wallace.
Meyers Taylor, the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history, highlighted the importance of holistic health in athletic success, saying strength “comes from caring for your whole self, body and mind.”
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In addition to celebrating athletic excellence, Lilly is expanding its “Milestones into Meaning” initiative, which links athletic achievements to tangible support for communities across the United States.
Under the program, the company will donate $5,000 to US nonprofit organizations that work to improve health care access for every Olympic or Paralympic medal, world record or Games record earned by the supported athletes.
First launched during the Paris 2024 Olympics, where it generated more than $2.6 million in donations benefiting 24 organizations, the program will now support 26 nonprofits during the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
To mark the relaunch of the program, Lilly released a video featuring Summer Olympian Gabby Thomas, a three-time gold medalist in track and field. In the video, Thomas describes “Milestones into Meaning” and symbolically passes the torch to Winter Olympian bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who is the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history.
“In sports and in science, when we break barriers, we make progress,” says Thomas in the video.
“That’s why Lilly supports Team USA and those in our communities who believe the pursuit of what’s possible is never over.” Thomas explains the program and its pledge to support US communities by donating to nonprofits for every medal won at Milano Cortina.
The video then cuts to Meyers Taylor, showing her in full training mode as she picks up a “torch” (a phone) and speaks with Thomas.
“Lilly is proud to support Team USA and continue our shared pursuit of putting health above all, for all,” she says in the piece.
Lilly’s involvement builds on its broader role as an official sponsor of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, where it aims to elevate conversations around prevention, wellness and health equity through both athletic engagement and community initiatives.
Jennifer Oleksiw, Lilly’s global chief customer officer, emphasized that both the athletes and the company share a “relentless spirit” of pushing beyond limits.
“Like Team USA, we never stop pushing past limits. Together we can extend the impact of that shared perseverance by translating Team USA milestones into meaningful change for communities across the country.”
As the world turns its attention to Italy in early 2026, Lilly’s announcement spotlights not only the nation’s elite competitors but also a growing emphasis on leveraging sporting success to foster healthier, more equitable communities.
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