ThinkAbility
Look up, see beyond
Europ Assistance is proud to be the official partner of 13 elite para-athletes from 10 countries. These champions, each excelling in their sport and category, form a unique international team that we support as a Group.
We are proud to support a team of 13 inspiring and high-performing international para-athletes: day to day and for the long term. Our aim is to fight against stereotypes and biases about disability by promoting and normalizing inclusion within our company and throughout society. These champions exemplify resilience, determination and the ability to overcome obstacles.
We invite our 12000 employees around the world to “Look up and see beyond”, to celebrate the performance and achievements of these athletes, support them daily in their ambitions, and take pride.
Lindy Ave
Germany
Sport
As a para-athlete, my main goal is to compete in the Paralympic Games, and I am currently training very hard. The support provided by Europ Assistance is a tremendous opportunity for my athletic career. Thanks to this, I can pursue my dream of reaching a high level in athletics with greater peace of mind.
Lindy Ave is a para-athlete from Neubrandenburg, Germany. She competes in sprinting and long jump events. Her career began at the 2016 Paralympic Games, where she competed in the 4 x 100 m relay, the 100 m and the long jump. Lindy enjoyed international success at the 2021 Paralympic Games, winning gold in the 400m and bronze in the 100m. In the same year, she also placed fifth at the Paralympic Games in Athens and fifth in the 100m at the European Championships. At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Lindy won a bronze medal in the 400m. She is now preparing for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Known for her resilience and determination, Lindy balances her athletic career with her role as a mother.
Watch video presentation of Lindy Ave
Alexis Bellanger
France
Swimming
Throughout my journey, I discover every day that difference can become an incredible source of energy. After my accident, although I was still very young at the time, I chose to turn this ordeal into a driving force: swimming offered me new opportunities, but also a responsibility: to show that nothing is set in stone, that anything is possible with determination and support. For me, inclusion means giving everyone the opportunity to express themselves, to dare, to progress, without ever being reduced to their disability. This is the message I want to convey, both in the pool and in society.
Alexis Bellanger is a young French para-swimmer who had his left leg amputated after a serious accident when he was a child. He quickly established himself as a major hope for disabled swimming, notably winning two podium places at the 2024 French Long Course Championships in the 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke. That same year, he performed well at the 2024 World Series Para Swimming, finishing second in the B final of the 400m freestyle and fifth in the 100m backstroke and 200m medley. His career has been marked by rapid progress and exceptional determination, confirmed by a third place in the junior category and eighth place in the French category at the 2024 French Short Course Championships. He is now aiming for the World Championships and future Paralympic Games.
Watch video presentation of Alexis Bellanger
Florian Brungraber
Austria
Triathlon
My next goal is the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles! I am sure I will be at the starting line. That is also my biggest motivation, which makes the difficult training easier. I am proud to be supported by Europ Assistance during this sporting season and for this important goal.
Florian Brungraber, 40-year-old Austrian para-triathlete. He competes in wheelchair paratriathlon competitions, representing the Tripower Wimberger Freistadt and RSC Heindl OÖ sports clubs. Florian won three bronze medals at the European Triathlon Championships in 2019, 2022, and 2023. He also won two bronze medals and one silver medal at the World Triathlon Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023. His performance at the 2020 Paralympic Games was exceptional: he won a silver medal in triathlon. During the 2024 Games, he won a silver medal. Alongside his sporting career, Florian works as a project manager for hydroelectric power plants. In addition to his sporting achievements, Florian Brungraber is also a motivational speaker and ambassador for Wings for Life. He uses his platform to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities available to people with disabilities and to inspire others to pursue their dreams. His story is an example to many of how it is possible to succeed despite serious setbacks in life.
Watch video presentation of Florian Brungraber
Lídia Cruz
Brazil
Swimming
Water is my space of freedom. When I dive in, I forget my limitations and think only of going further and further. That’s what swimming gives me: the strength to overcome all obstacles.
Lídia Cruz is one of the leading figures in Brazilian Paralympic swimming. Originally from Rio de Janeiro and now living in São Paulo, Lídia Cruz has made swimming a means of rehabilitation and success despite significant health problems. Diagnosed with myelomeningocele and subsequently suffering a brain injury, she overcame these obstacles to excel in her sport. She won medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, and the Manchester 2023 World Championships, and broke the Americas record in the 50m freestyle in May 2024. Supported by Europ Assistance, she is now focusing on her preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Lídia’s journey, marked by her determination and resilience, is an inspiration to others and promotes inclusion and accessibility in sport.
Watch video presentation of Lídia Cruz
Wim De Paepe
Belgium
Triathlon
I grew up in a very close-knit family and in an environment where you are taught to work hard, where you can always push your limits. It’s a value that has influenced my life and my sport. When I do something, I give it my all.
Wim De Paepe is a Belgian para-triathlete. He competes in the PTS2 category and represents the Triathlon Tenacity Team Charleroi. Wim has shown exceptional resilience and determination in his sporting career. He started competing internationally at the age of 15. His journey in Paralympic sport began with swimming. He finished sixth at the 2004 Paralympic Games. Wim has enjoyed international success, placing third at the World Championships in 2021 and 2022, and taking third place at the European Championships in 2021 and fourth in 2022. At the Paris 2024 Games, he finished in fifth place. In addition to his sporting activities, Wim is a dedicated physical therapist and osteopath. A father of three boys, he balances his professional and family life with his sporting career.
Jakob Klinge
Germany
Cycling
My passion for cycling began in 2019, and I had the opportunity to discover para-cycling in 2020. I have a congenital orthopedic condition called clubfoot in both legs. Before discovering cycling, I had never been able to do such an intense and persistent sport without my feet hurting after training. When I started competing, my desire to push my personal limits grew day by day.
Jakob Klinge is a physical therapist in Erlangen, Germany. A road and track para-cyclist, Jakob is an accomplished athlete who has enjoyed international success with the German team. In 2022, he finished 9th in the pursuit on the track; in 2023, he finished 8th overall and 10th in the pursuit. In the same year, Jakob became German champion and broke the national 1000-meter record at the Track World Championships in Brazil. Jakob is aiming for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. He is also trying to raise public awareness of para-cycling and show that a disability is no obstacle to participating in an attractive competitive sport. On his own YouTube channel, he regularly posts videos from his home and tells his fans about his current successes.
Watch video presentation of Jakob Klinge
Benjamin Lacroix-Desmazes
France
Sitting Volleyball
With experience, I know that performance is not measured only by medals or scores. What matters is the ability to get back up, adapt, and pass on knowledge. Sport has taught me that disability is not a limitation, but a challenge to be met every day, with clarity and humility. What I want to share with Europ Assistance employees is that inclusion is not an abstract concept: it is a collective force that is built over time, through simple gestures, kind looks, and the desire to make a difference, together.
Benjamin Lacroix-Desmazes, a physical therapist in Argences, Calvados, is a passionate athlete. He excelled at sitting volleyball, first with the Caen club, with which he won second place in the French Cup in June 2023. For the 2023-2024 season, due to a lack of playing partners in Caen, he had to change clubs and joined Voiron, which also participated in the French Cup. With this club, he competed against the best European clubs in the Silver League in April 2024 and the Gold League in May 2024! Benjamin has been a setter for the French team since 2017 and was recognized as a high-level athlete in 2019. Since July 2023, during the Bronze Nations League, he has been captain of the French team. The team qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and finished 8th. Benjamin is known for his leadership and versatility in team and individual sports (swimming, cycling, and running). He was runner-up in the French Paratriathlon Championships in 2019 and 2020. Nothing can stop him! His engaging personality inspires those around him. Benjamin is married and has three children.
Watch video presentation of Benjamin Lacroix-Desmazes
Iñigo Llopis
Spain
Swimming
I think sport is a very important social tool. Since childhood, sport has helped me overcome my disability by allowing me to be part of a group and play with friends. It has also taught me that I can achieve my goals and do what I want to do.
Iñigo Llopis is a Spanish swimmer. He won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the 100m backstroke and took bronze and silver medals at the 2024 World Series in Aberdeen. He also won a gold medal in the backstroke at the 2023 Manchester World Cup. Having competed in two Paralympic Games (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020), he is a triple medalist at the 2022 World Championships in Madeira. At the 2024 Olympic Games, he won two medals: gold in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 4x100m mixed relay. Alongside his sporting career, Iñigo works as a social worker. He is known for his determination and excellence in swimming.
Watch video presentation of Iñigo Llopis
Brittni Mason
USA
Athletics
I’ve been involved in athletics since I was 10 years old, and I never imagined I would be as successful as I am today. It wasn’t until later that I discovered I could become a Paralympic athlete. What I mean is, anything is possible. I want even more success. I’ve already had a very successful career, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing.
Brittni Mason is an athlete from Orlando, USA. She was born with Erb’s palsy, which affects her left shoulder and arm. Despite this adversity, the athlete competes in international sprinting competitions. At the Tokyo Paralympic Games, she won a gold medal in the mixed 4 × 100 m relay and silver medals in the T47 100 m and 200 m events. At the Paris Games, she won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m events. She also set a new world record. Brittni holds two master’s degrees. One of her goals is to launch a non-profit organization to help and sponsor young athletes.
Watch video presentation of Brittni Mason
Bartek Matusiewicz
Poland
Triathlon
For me, sport is a way to enter adulthood, combining passion with an activity that fills the life of a person with an intellectual disability.
Bartek Matusiewicz – Poland’s first triathlete with Down syndrome. Bartek is also a four-time Polish paratriathlon champion, silver medalist at the 2021 European Championships for people with Down syndrome (200 m individual medley) and bronze medalist at the 2022 European Championships (200 m backstroke). He is a national representative at the World and European Alpine Ski Championships. Bartek’s main passion is sport, but he is also interested in music.
Watch video presentation of Bartek Matusiewicz
Carla Oliveira
Portugal
Boccia
My motto is: the only thing that’s impossible is what you don’t try. If you don’t try, you’re sure to fail. Europ Assistance is like a coach, it’s close to me, it shares my values. It’s great to feel the support of Europ Assistance, not just in Italy, but to know that the whole world is behind me in every race and every new challenge.
Valeria Pappalardo is a swimmer from Pisa, Italy, who works in the public health sector. She has won the Italian swimming championship several times. In 2021, Valeria won four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. The following year, she achieved many other successes, including five gold medals, three silver medals, and second and third place in the World Series. At the national level, her results in 2023 were also remarkable: four gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. In the World Series, she repeated her 2023 success by winning first and third place. Valeria is motivated by competition, which she sees as an exciting challenge, and demonstrates determination, resilience, and sensitivity. Her new goal is to take up boccia!
Watch video presentation of Carla Oliveira
Valeria Pappalardo
Italy
Swimming
My motto is: the only impossible thing is the one you don’t try. If you don’t try, you’re sure to fail. Europ Assistance is like a coach, it’s close to me, it shares my values. It’s great to feel the support of Europ Assistance, not only in Italy, and to know that the whole world supports me in every race and every new challenge.
Valeria Pappalardo, 56, is a swimmer from Pisa, Italy who works in the public health sector. She has won the Italian swimming championship several times.
In 2021, Valeria won 4 gold medals, one silver and one bronze. The following year, she achieved many more successes, including 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals, as well as second and third places in the World Series.
At national level, her results in 2023 were also remarkable: 4 gold medals, one silver and one bronze. In the World Series, she repeated her success of 2023, taking first and third place.
Valeria is driven by competition as an exciting challenge, with determination, resilience and sensitivity all at the same time.
Watch video presentation of Valeria Pappalardo
Man-Kei To
Belgium
Badminton
As people with disabilities, we are no different from “you.” We also find close friends there and play our favorite sport at the highest level.
Man-Kei (Kiki) To is a Belgian para-badminton player. A full-time professional athlete, she has achieved international success despite a spinal cord injury. In 2022, Man-Kei became the second winner of the world doubles championship. Then, in 2023, she was the first in singles at the European Championships. At the 2024 Parsi Games, she placed fourth. This wheelchair athlete is one of the most powerful para-badminton players in the world.
Watch video presentation of Man-Kei To