Visa to Sponsor Four Paralympic Hopefuls

"Building off our legacy of athlete support since 1986, we remain committed to helping Paralympic hopefuls achieve their lifelong goals as they embark on the greatest athletic challenges of their lives."

Visa has announced that it will sponsor four new Paralympic hopefuls on their journey to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The four athletes are the American duo of Jessica Long (swimming) and Alana Nichols (wheelchair basketball) and the Canadian pair of Benoit Huot (swimming) and Richard Peter (wheelchair basketball). They join an elite group of longtime Visa-sponsored athletes that include Olympic and Paralympic champions.

Visa-sponsored athletes and their inspiring stories will be featured prominently throughout Visa’s Olympic-themed marketing campaign – Go World - to connect with cardholders and help drive preference for and usage of Visa products worldwide.

For 25 years, Visa has sponsored the Olympic Games and provides valuable marketing exposure and financial support to Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they pursue their dreams of competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Leading up to the London 2012 Games, Visa will support more than 50 individual athletes along with national teams from more than 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, China, United Kingdom, South Africa and Russia.

“The Paralympic Games begin and end with the athletes, and we’re excited to add these two remarkable individuals to our growing roster of Visa-sponsored athletes,” said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer and Global Head of Strategy and Corporate Development.

“Building off our legacy of athlete support since 1986, we remain committed to helping Paralympic hopefuls achieve their lifelong goals as they embark on the greatest athletic challenges of their lives.”

Visa’s athlete selection process is based on a variety of criteria including their personal journey to the Paralympics Games, athletic achievements, dedication to developing their sports, and active community involvement.