Toyota Supports 25 Para Athletes from 12 Countries at PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games 2018
March 08 2018 - 02:17AM
JCN Newswire (English)
At the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 that begin on
March 9, Toyota Motor Corporation is supporting 25 Para athletes
from 12 countries, including some that are Toyota employees, as
"Team Toyota Athletes". The Paralympic Winter Games will run from
March 9 through March 18.
"We are all fighting a battle with something or other, and we all
know that it is very difficult to keep trying when we feel defeated
already," said Akio Toyoda, president and chairman of Toyota Motor
Corporation. "As such, we are touched by athletes who keep
challenging their limits. I sincerely hope that all the athletes
will be able to do and perform their best, and that smiles will
spread from PyeongChang to rest of the world."
Athletes that are part of "Team Toyota", including those that are
employees in the Toyota Group, are selected based on whether or not
they share the company's core values. Toyota provides support for
the athletes in one or more ways, including, but not limited
to:
- Financial support: such as supplying vehicles, activity fees,
sponsorships
- Technology support: such as development of equipment
- Direct employment: such as those Toyota employees competing this
year
At the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, which closed on
February 25, eleven athletes supported by Toyota earned a total of
eight gold medals, five silver medals, and five bronze medals for
their respective National Olympic Teams. These included the
multiple medals earned by Ireen Wust from the Netherlands as well
as Johannes Hosflot Klaebo from Norway.
Aiming to "achieve a peaceful and non-discriminatory society
through sports" and to "contribute to a sustainable society through
mobility," Toyota entered into an agreement with the International
Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2015 to become Worldwide Paralympic
Partner. As the automotive industry faces a once-in-a-century
revolutionary change, Toyota, encouraged by all of its
stakeholders, starting from its own employees, aims to create an
ever better mobility society that can offer all people the freedom
to move.
Toyota also has agreements with the National Paralympic Committees
(NPC) of 177 countries, a groundbreaking first for a Worldwide
Paralympic Partner. In addition, Toyota has been asked by the IPC
to help increase awareness and promote support for the Paralympics
and its Para athletes through its local business operations in each
country by supporting the activities of the local NPCs. Showing its
commitment to the Paralympic Movement, the Toyota-IPC partnership
is strengthening the capacity building with NPCs through the NPC
Development Programme. Launched in 2017 by the development arm of
the IPC, the Agitos Foundation, the programme seeks to enhance
organization and management capacity of developing NPCs through
sharing of knowledge and best practices, thereby increasing
professionalism and enabling them to obtain more support from
governments, corporates and developing agencies. It also offers
sport technical training to athletes, coaches and officials, all of
these with the ultimate aim of creating sustainable pathways for
Para athletes of all levels.
About Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that
introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first
mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in
Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today,
Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the
world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in
29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to
mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170
countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For
more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
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