Philippine bets Proulx, Ceccarelli return to roots in Winter Olympics bid

Born in Quezon Metropolis and adopted by Italian dad and mom, Francis Ceccarelli rediscovers his house nation together with US-based Tallulah Proulx as the 2 skiers characterize the Philippines within the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

MANILA, Philippines – From the tropics to the snow, the Philippines will ship two foreign-based athletes to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina on February 6 to 17.

Tallulah Proulx and Francis Ceccarelli, each competing in alpine snowboarding, give the Philippines — a rustic with no snow and little winter infrastructure — two possibilities of successful its first-ever medal within the Winter Video games.

Their stint marks the Philippines’ seventh general stint within the Winter Olympics since 1972, and fourth straight look since 2014 in Sochi, the place determine skater Michael Martinez represented the nation.

Get to know extra concerning the two Filipino delegates on this version’s Video games.

Tallulah Proulx

Proulx makes historical past as the primary feminine and youngest athlete from Southeast Asia to compete within the Winter Olympics, in response to the Olympic web site.

The 17-year-old Proulx, whose father traces his roots to Japanese Samar, will race within the slalom and large slalom, two of alpine snowboarding’s most technical occasions that demand razor-sharp precision on snow-packed slopes.

“I simply need to go in with a constructive mindset and characterize the Philippines in a constructive gentle and take away the entire expertise, after all, and simply take pleasure in it with out having to place an excessive amount of strain on myself as a result of I feel I carry out finest once I’m, after all, blissful and surrounded by such inspirational figures,” she informed Olympics.com.

The US-based skier who grew up in Utah secured her Olympic berth by incomes quota factors in FIS-sanctioned occasions, organising her first Winter Video games look. 

Proulx competed within the Junior World Championships final 12 months in Italy, an occasion that preluded the Winter Olympics.

“As soon as I switched to racing, my ardour for the game and the enjoyment of it has remained unchanged,” she stated in a earlier interview with the Olympic Council of Asia. 

“Day by day that I am going out and ski, I come again feeling achieved and grateful that I’ve such nice alternatives in my life,” added Proulx, who’s set to face elite North American and European skiers. 

“[I hope] we are able to increase the profile of the game again within the Philippines. I would like everybody to know what enjoyable alpine snowboarding is.”

Francis Ceccarelli 

Ceccarelli will get a novel likelihood to characterize his house nation and play in his adopted nation on the identical time.

The 22-year-old alpine skier, who was born in Quezon Metropolis and adopted by Italian dad and mom, will characterize the Philippines when he debuts within the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, which is round three hours away from his house in Abetone, Tuscany.

Ceccarelli, who moved to Italy when he was eight years outdated, has been carrying the Philippine flag in worldwide occasions since 2023.

“Since I began snowboarding, my Filipino identification has at all times been with me. It represents the place I used to be born and the place I’m from,” he informed Olympics.com.

Ceccarelli, an Olympic Solidarity Athlete who obtained a scholarship from the Worldwide Olympic Committee, was the primary Filipino to earn a spot on this version’s Winter Video games. 

He follows the likes of Filipino Olympic alpine skiers Juan Cipriano and Ben Nanasca (1972), Michael Turuel (1992), and Asa Miller (2018, 2022).

Ceccarelli additionally competed within the 2025 Asian Winter Video games in the identical occasion.

“It was a objective for me to ski for the Philippines, as a result of it’s not daily that we now have a Filipino athlete snowboarding at worldwide degree.” – Rappler.com