Every Olympics has its silent heroes: they do not stand on the podium, they do not wear medals, but they are the engine that makes every race, every ceremony, every emotion possible. For the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina 2026 these heroes are called Team26, the great team of volunteers whose enthusiasm, energy and commitment will transform the most anticipated sporting event into an unforgettable experience.
The birth of a unique team
Team26 is not just a volunteer program: it is a community movement. It is the shared dream of thousands of people who have decided to put their time, energy and expertise into writing a page of history.
The goal is ambitious: to create a team of over 20,000 volunteers from all over Italy and all over the world, ready to make every moment of the Games special. Young students, retirees, sports enthusiasts, professionals and ordinary citizens: each with their own story, each with a desire to feel part of something bigger.
The roles of the Olympic volunteer
Being part of Team26 means experiencing the Games from a privileged perspective. Volunteers will be engaged in many different roles:
- Welcoming and supporting the public, to guide Italian and foreign spectators to the host cities.
- Logistical and organizational assistance, behind the scenes competitions.
- Supporting athletes, experiencing the preparation and crucial moments of the races up close.
- Cultural and territorial animation, to tell the story of local traditions and the unique heritage of the Italian Alps.
- Sustainability and inclusion, two fundamental pillars of the Milan-Cortina Games.
It is not a job, it is a transformative experience: those who participate as volunteers go home with new friendships, indelible memories and the knowledge that they contributed to an event that will remain in the collective memory.
How an Olympic volunteer is born
The selection process for Team26 began in 2025 with a call open to all citizens of legal age, with no age limit. The main requirement is not sports career or professional experience, but motivation: the desire to be part of an extraordinary adventure.
After applying, selected volunteers will participate in specific training sessions: online courses, field workshops, language and cultural trainings. All to arrive ready for February 6, 2026, the day San Siro will light up for the inaugural ceremony.
A community that will stand the test of time
The strength of Team26 is that it will not end with the closing of the Games. Many volunteers will remain connected to each other, creating a community that is destined to continue working in future cultural and sporting events.
Just as has happened in other Olympics, the greatest legacy will not only be in the sports results, but in the social fabric that will be born from the coming together of thousands of people united by the same passion.
Tale of a collective dream
Imagine the snow-covered streets of Cortina, the heart of Milan in celebration, the lifts of Valtellina teeming with fans: behind every smile, every sign, every gesture of help will be a Team26 volunteer.
They will be the ones to make those who come from afar feel at home, to turn organizational complexity into harmony, to embody the Olympic spirit of welcome, friendship and solidarity.
Team26 is not just volunteering: it is a life experience, a personal and collective journey to the most important sporting event in recent years in Italy.
Those who wear the volunteers' uniforms will carry with them not only the Olympics logo, but more importantly a smile, a story and a heart that will beat to the rhythm of the Games. Champions will win medals, but Team26 volunteers will win something even greater: the certainty of having made Milan-Cortina 2026 an indelible memory for millions of people.
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