Over the next 24 hours, Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) will celebrate exactly ‘2 years to go’ until the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. To mark this special moment, PNZ is thrilled to announce Tower Insurance as a new Official Partner. New Zealand’s oldest insurance company has become the newest member of PNZ’s family of partners, which includes Toyota, Cadbury and Adecco.
On Saturday, Tower Insurance will ‘wrap’ the New Zealand Herald in a special double-page advert launching the partnership, with the headline, ‘Staunch Supporters of Extraordinary People.’ The advert will feature Paralympic medallists Mary Fisher, Holly Robinson, Michael Johnson and Jessica Hamill.
Tower Insurance is committed to PNZ’s mission to positively influence perceptions of disabled people and promote a more diverse and inclusive society by supporting and celebrating the success of New Zealand Paralympians. This weekend marks the start of a vibrant PR and fundraising campaign where Tower Insurance will show their passion and encourage kiwis to also become ‘Staunch Supporters.’
Fiona Allan (Chief Executive, Paralympics New Zealand) said: “We are thrilled to welcome Tower Insurance to the Paralympic family. Although we are formally announcing our Partnership today we revealed this news to over 100 Tower Insurance leaders last week with a talk from Rio 2016 Paralympic double bronze medallist, William Stedman. The passion and excitement the leaders expressed was a great signal of their commitment to supporting Para sport across New Zealand.“
She continued: “With 2 years to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, we are looking forward with great excitement to the biggest event on the Para sport calendar globally. The performance levels of Para athletes throughout the world have taken a meteoric rise since the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics, as have viewing figures. The Rio 2016 broadcast topped 4 billion globally and in New Zealand, 2.2million kiwis actively tuned in to watch the team win 21 medals, including 9 gold, and take out the ‘number 1 in the world for medals per capita’ title for the second Games in a row. In Tokyo, we’ll be targeting 22 medals, including 10 – 14 gold, and aiming to retain the title for the third time.“
Richard Harding (CEO, Tower Insurance) said: “The values, passion and achievements of our Paralympians are inspirational, and as a proud Kiwi company we are excited to support these extraordinary people.“
He continued: “As we transform our business we want to learn from these incredible athletes, help highlight their success and show people that when you put your mind to something, the unachievable can become the achievable.
Tower Insurance offices throughout New Zealand will also show their support as they ‘go gold’ on 7 September for PNZ’s annual Spirit of Gold Mufti Day. This event will officially kick start PNZ’s Tokyo 2020 fundraising drive and Tower Insurance will be encouraging all kiwis to show their support too.
Michael Johnson (3-time Paralympic medallist) said: “It is great to see Partners such as Tower Insurance getting behind the New Zealand Paralympic Team. I have competed at 4 Paralympic Games and I definitely think that the support we have now compared to 12 years ago has grown hugely! It is exciting to think about who else might get behind us in the next 2 years. I certainly have my sights firmly set on Tokyo 2020!“
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games begin just over 2 weeks following the end of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. They take place in the same location and venues, will run from 25 August – 6 September 2020. The Games are the world’s largest multi-sport event for disabled athletes; approximately 4,400 Paralympians are expected to compete in 22 Para sports.
