During the Winter Games, some Milan churches are teaching Olympic values to thousands of kids

MILAN — Olympic podiums are where the world's best athletes win gold. But beyond the spotlight of the 2026 Winter Olympics, dozens of children on Feb. 10 received snowflake-shaped medals of their own in a Milan church — a reminder that they, too, are champions in life.

''This is not about changing lives through elite performance,'' said Valentina Piazza, project manager for CSI for the World, which operates outside Italy to provide sports programs to children in developing countries. ''It's about how sport helps young people learn from being together.''

Piazza's work is part of the Tour of Sports Values, an initiative led by the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan during the Games. With workshops, exhibitions, athlete testimonies and sports activities, the initiative seeks to promote excellence, friendship and respect.

The program is anchored by a series of letters written by Milan's Archbishop Mario Delpini, who has drawn on those values in recent years as part of preparations for the Games.

It aims to involve about 13,000 young people from schools, parish youth centers and sports clubs across the archdiocese through Feb. 20.

From Olympic podiums to parish benches

The Tour of Sports Values kicked off on Feb. 10 at the Church of Sant'Antonio, near Milan's Duomo.

''Since becoming a professional athlete, I often go around talking to kids,'' said Bortolani, who has also engaged in activities organized for people with disabilities within programs of Milan's Catholic Church.

''With the Winter Olympics happening here in Milan, it's all about Olympic values,'' he added. ''The values of sport, and of life as well.''

Behind him hung banners showcasing graphic designs created by students in their final year of high school, highlighting Olympic-inspired principles.

The works interpret those themes by linking past and present, using the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics as a common framework.

''The idea is to rethink sport not only as competition or performance, but also as a vehicle for ethical principles such as cooperation, respect, solidarity and inclusion,'' said Matilde Napoli, deputy head of the school.

Initiatives like the Tour of Sports Values unfold largely in oratories, an Italian model of parish spaces where children and teenagers gather after school for sports and recreational activities.

The program is supported by the foundation of Milan's oratories, known by its Italian initials, FOM, which coordinates these programs across the Milan archdiocese.

During the Winter Olympics, those everyday settings are being used to connect the Olympic spirit with daily life, turning familiar church spaces into classrooms for sport, reflection and community.

''Oratories are places where young people can come together,'' said Napoli. ''They offer opportunities for social interaction through sports, recreational and leisure activities.''

Aside from teachers, volunteers and athletes, FOM and Catholic leaders rely on organizations like CSI and local sports clubs to bring faith and sports together with youths. According to Massimo Aquino, president of CSI, Milan's archdiocese oversees almost 1,000 oratories.

Where champions begin

Among them, Aquino added, are Antonio Rossi, one of Italy's most celebrated canoeists and a five-time Olympic medalist, including three golds, and sprinter Filippo Tortu, who was part of Italy's gold-winning 4x100-meter relay team at the Tokyo Olympics.

Bortolani himself shares this background. His first encounter with sport, he said, was at age five in an oratory. ''Church was part of it,'' Bortolani said. ''Sometimes, between training sessions, they would take us to pray.''

Later he married, joined Olimpia Milano and became a professional athlete. But oratories have never been far from his heart.

''There is a beauty in sport itself, but sometimes a young person may be interested in hearing the point of view of an athlete,'' Bortolani said. ''That's how it was for me when I was younger.''

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

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