By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipino-Italian alpine skier Francis Ceccarelli, the country’s first athlete to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, is looking beyond his maiden Olympic stint as he hopes to help and inspire future Filipino Olympians.
Aside from aiming to qualify anew in the quadrennial meet, the 22-year-old Ceccarelli expressed his desire to be part of the national team’s long-term training program for aspiring athletes.
“My goal is to compete and do at least one more Olympics,” Ceccarelli told Tempo-Manila Bulletin.
“After that, I would like the Philippine National Team to give me the honor to train young Filipino athletes and bring them to important events such as the Olympics,” he added.
Ceccarelli said the decision reflects his strong sense of identity.
“In life, I don’t have to balance any identity,” he said. “Being born in the Philippines, it’s in my blood. I clearly feel like a Pinoy. When it comes to skiing, I feel both Filipino and Abetonese.”
“I would like to tell young Filipinos to believe in their dreams, even if sometimes it is difficult to fight through dark times,” he added.
Currently based in Abetone in Italy’s Tuscany region, Ceccarelli secured his spot in the Winter Games after earning a quota through strong performances in several International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) competitions.
His qualification makes him the fifth Filipino skier to compete in the Winter Olympics, following Juan Cipriano (1972 Sapporo), Raymond Ocampon (1988 Calgary), Michael Teruel (1992 Albertville), and Asa Miller (2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing).
“Competing for my country has given me many opportunities, including participation in important events,” said Ceccarelli, who was born in Quezon City before moving to Italy at age eight.
“In the future, having a national role and the opportunity to take part in these events creates motivation and desire to continue,” he added.
Representing the Philippines since 2023, Ceccarelli has been training under mentor Stefano Barattero, focusing on improving his technical skills as well as his physical and mental conditioning. These are expected to help him compete in the slalom and giant slalom events in the Games scheduled from Feb. 6 to 22 at the mountainous venues of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
