Month: February 2025

International Olympic Committee news

The Olympic atmosphere always provides something different compared with other sporting events. Athletes often say that the Olympic experience is one that will be unique from any other they go through across their career, and spectators know how special the Olympic Games are.

Our role at the IOC Coordination Commission for the XXV Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 is to support the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) as much as we can to help their vision come to life. Every organiser is different, but each of them adapts their strategies alongside the IOC framework when putting together their edition of the Games.

I was part of the evaluation commission when the Games were awarded to Milano Cortina back in 2019. From the start, Milano Cortina 2026 has had a very strong awareness of Olympic Agenda 2020 and how to create Games that are suited for the future within their context.

Once a host has been selected, the OCOG makes an agreement with the IOC about the specifications of the upcoming Games in the form of a host contract. We support them in fulfilling that contract and allow them to put their own unique mark on the Games. These Winter Games were awarded just before the launch of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and Milano Cortina 2026 is very much aligning with its objectives as well.

Sustainability will, of course, be a major focus. A large part of their concept is to use the venues that they already have and not to build any new ones that don’t have a legacy prospect to them.

This is all just part of being a more sustainable organiser compared with the past when it was more common to build a lot of new venues and not know exactly how much they were going to be used after the Games.

The OCOG had the great opportunity to send a large delegation to Paris 2024. There is, of course, a difference between Winter and Summer Games, but there are many takeaways from Paris which can be transformed and applied to Milano Cortina’s concept. Paris 2024 was really good at finding solutions to sustainability issues, doing things that had never been done before. Naturally, Milano Cortina will implement according to the context of their project, but as we move from the planning phase into the operational phase, the learnings on different topics and issues from previous Games will be really helpful.

This is, to me, one of the beauties of the Olympic Movement – the way the Games are set up, each edition will have something to offer the next, be it winter or summer. We already know that the 2030 Olympic Winter Games will be in the French Alps, and they will probably look at Milano Cortina 2026 and hopefully be able to learn a lot.

I think that spectators will be treated to an amazing event, too.

A lot of the disciplines will have areas dedicated to the fan experience, and the OCOG knows that it will be a unique challenge compared with simply being in one big city. We are very aware that at every venue we need to create that Olympic atmosphere. For the fans at home, they can expect it to be much like Paris, with technology, broadcasting and social media tying the Games together online.

I really hope that these Games will be something that the Italian population can remember with fondness. I know from having experienced a home Games, at

Lillehammer 1994, that it’s still very much part of our identity, who we are, what we are. If you ask any Norwegian on the street of a certain age about their proudest moments, the chances are that they’ll mention the Lillehammer Games. And I really hope that future Games organisers will create that same feeling, because I think it means a lot for a nation and for the development of sport.

For the future of the Winter Games, Milano Cortina 2026 will surely be a benchmark for how we can do it.

Kristin Kloster is a lawyer and experienced sports administrator. She served as President of the Norwegian Equestrian Federation for 10 years (2003-2012) and a Vice-President of the Norwegian NOC (2011-2019). Since joining the IOC, Kloster has served on several commissions including as Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad (2019-2021) and as a member of the Olympic Solidarity and Sustainability and Legacy Commissions.

Abbott

As a competitive powerlifter, Nathan Zenero has a unique talent for lifting heavy things. He’s also taken on more than a few challenges in his life, including sports injuries and thyroid cancer. But when he received a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the 45-year-old says the weight of diabetes stigma felt even heavier than his previous setbacks.

“There’s a belief that you’re powerless and have no ability to control it,” Zenero says. “I felt an intense sense of shame — shame that I had let myself down, that I had let my family down.”

But thanks to the help of his doctor and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, Zenero overcame the initial shock and learned to use his CGM to his advantage. The Michigan native, girl-dad and husband is now fueled by his newfound control over his health, increased confidence and mission to break diabetes stigma — because, he says, no one should feel the way he felt during his diagnosis.

“Where I was before FreeStyle Libre 3 was a dark place,” Zenero says. “I felt horrible physically, and I because of that, I felt pretty bad mentally. I was concerned about my longevity, and now I feel like I can conquer life.”

Overcoming a Heavy Burden

Diabetes stigma describes the judgment, discrimination and negative attitudes toward people living with diabetes.

“There’s this stigma associated with diabetes that the condition results from someone’s own choices — like eating too much sugar,” says Aleem Kanji, M.D., a board-certified endocrinologist in Houston and Zenero’s doctor. “But that is false, and the stigma that surrounds diabetes really plays a role in people’s mental and emotional health.”

In a U.S. study of 12,000 adults with Type 2 diabetes, 52% said they perceived social stigma from others because of their diabetes1. In turn, diabetes stigma can impair diabetes management, such that, for example, someone might avoid doctors’ appointments2.

Fearing that diabetes might hinder his daily activities or affect his role as a husband and father, Zenero was motivated to work even harder to take control of his health. “I didn’t want to be the guy that people didn’t invite to things because they think I wouldn’t be able to make it to the end of a hike or a workout,” says Zenero.

With the help of his doctor, diet changes and the FreeStyle Libre 3 systems, Zenero was on his way toward achieving his health goals.

“To combat stigma, you have to give people an opportunity to improve,” Zenero says. “The best thing you can do is to trust, have faith and confidence in them that they can change and grow.”

Clarity After the Diagnosis

First, Zenero worked with Dr. Kanji to understand his symptoms. Zenero had digestive issues, but as he learned more about diabetes, he realized he had been experiencing more Type 2 diabetes symptoms than he knew at the time: injuries that were slow to heal, weight gain, thirst and frequent urination.

The next step was controlling his diet and getting his glucose levels under control. Zenero and his doctor turned to FreeStyle Libre 3 for that.

“Dr. Kanji and I agreed that I would use the FreeStyle Libre 3 to monitor my glucose, and that if within seven days, I could show him that I made a certain amount of progress towards a healthy metabolic system, I wouldn’t be put on insulin,” Zenero says. “I watched how everything I ate affected my glucose levels, and in doing so, over the course of seven days, my fasting glucose went down about 40%.”

How Does a CGM Help With Type 2 Diabetes?

CGM systems like Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 system display your glucose levels in real time, so you can make confident choices*1 and lower your hemoglobin A1C*2. Today, more than 6 million people worldwide use Abbott’s portfolio of FreeStyle Libre systems to monitor their glucose levels3.

One feature of the FreeStyle Libre 3 app that Zenero and his doctor say they both love is the ability to communicate with each other outside of appointments. They use Abbott’s companion app, called LibreView†. Through this secure, cloud-based system, Zenero shares his glucose data with his doctor and will leave questions about glucose patterns he sees or behavior modifications he should take to which Dr. Kanji can answer in real time‡.

“To me, it’s not just a life-saving device — it’s a life-improving device,” Zenero says. “I’m in the driver’s seat, and I have nothing to do but improve.”

The views expressed in this video should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice. Individual symptoms, situations and circumstances may vary.

References

* Among patient-applied sensors.

† The LibreView data management software is intended for use by both patients and healthcare professionals to assist people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals in the review, analysis, and evaluation of historical glucose meter data to support effective diabetes management. The LibreView software is not intended to provide treatment decisions or to be used as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

‡ The user’s device must have internet connectivity for glucose data to automatically upload to LibreView and to transfer to connected LibreLinkUp app users.

1 American Diabetes Association, Stigma in People With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes | Clinical Diabetes, accessed January 10, 2025.

2 American Diabetes Association, Weight Stigma and Diabetes Stigma: Implications for Weight-Related Health Behaviors in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, accessed January 10, 2025.

3 Data on file. Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc. 

4 FreeStyle Libre 3 User’s Manual

Important safety information

Product for prescription only. For Important Safety Information, please visit https://www.freestyle.abbott/us-en/safety-information.html

Cummins

“Mentoring is about sharing your time and experience to help others grow and succeed,” says Yolanda D.

Yolanda’s career at Cummins Inc. is rooted in a journey of growth and empowerment, both for herself and others. She began her career at Cummins in 2022 as part of the Meritor acquisition then transitioned to Accelera by Cummins in 2023. As a program manager, Yolanda has overseen the design, development and production of ePowertrain products. Today, she’s focused on the launch of Accelera’s BP104E battery product for customers in North America.

Beyond her technical expertise, Yolanda’s passion for mentoring has shaped her journey at Cummins. “Mentoring always finds me,” she says. It all started shortly after joining Cummins, where Yolanda connected with early-career employees through her involvement in community service, eventually leading her to mentor several interns. “It was a natural transition,” Yolanda explains, “to begin talking to colleagues about their career goals and sharing tips I’ve used to grow my own career.”

Her formal mentoring role at Cummins started when she joined the Cummins Black Network (CBN) Employee Resource Group and expressed her interest in becoming a mentor. She was recruited to mentor CBN summer interns, including her first Cummins mentee from East Carolina University, Luc, who was interning at the Jamestown, NY facility.

For Yolanda, mentoring isn’t just about offering advice—it’s about creating opportunities for others to grow. “Mentoring means giving back your time and talents to help others gain from your life experience,” she says. And Yolanda takes this responsibility seriously, seeing it as a way to build strong relationships and support employee engagement within Cummins. “Mentoring helps employees grow in the company culture, build career relationships and stay engaged with their work. It helps people succeed, and that’s what matters most.”

The most rewarding aspect of mentoring, Yolanda shares, is seeing her mentees succeed. “When I see them promoted or land new roles, it’s like a proud parent moment. But it’s even more fulfilling when they, in turn, become mentors themselves.”

Mentoring is a two-way street, Yolanda adds, and it’s not only mentees who benefit. She explains that she’s gained valuable connections and insights from the people she mentors. “Mentoring is reciprocal,” she says. “I’ve been introduced to new opportunities and broadened my network through my mentees. It’s one of the many ways mentoring benefits both the mentor and the mentee.”

Cummins supports mentoring through various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and community service initiatives, creating a network where employees can find guidance and build relationships across the company. “Cummins is a big company, with many leaders and departments, so finding a mentor is crucial to navigating your career here,” Yolanda explains.

Mentoring plays a central role in Cummins’ company culture, helping with retention, career progression and employee engagement. “Mentoring helps people feel supported and more invested in the company’s success,” says Yolanda. “It’s a great tool for developing the next class of leadership.”

Yolanda’s advice to new employees is simple: “Find a mentor early on. Don’t just show up and do your job—make sure you’re building relationships and learning from those around you.”

Looking ahead, Yolanda is excited to continue her mentoring journey and inspire the next generation of leaders at Cummins. She also plans to find a new mentor for herself, seeing it as an opportunity to further grow and expand her network. “Mentoring isn’t just for those early in their careers—it’s valuable at every stage,” Yolanda says.

For Yolanda, the beauty of mentoring lies in the shared growth, the mutual respect and the lasting connections it creates. “It’s about helping each other, learning from each other and succeeding together,” she says.

Yolanda’s commitment to mentoring is an example of how Cummins fosters a culture of empowerment, collaboration and continuous development. It’s a philosophy that has shaped her own career and is helping others find success at Cummins every day.