Although competitors like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps have turned their Olympic record into a career, they did so through high-paying sponsorships and endorsements. Although there is evidence that many countries give athletes a monetary bonus based on medal wins, the Olympic games themselves do not pay the participants for competing or training. These Olympic athletes give all of their time and effort into competing in the competition, so how the heck do they make ends meet?
Giorgia Villa helped Team Italy secure the silver medal in Team All-Around Artistic Gymnastics and has been winning placements in gymnastic competitions since If you could make money off of feats of athleticism, Villa would be a billionaire, but her benefactor instead comes from an unexpected source: Parmesan cheese.
More specifically Parmigiano Reggiano, one of the most popular brands of Parmesan in the world. Parmigiano Reggiano is similar to all other brands of Parmesan, but has strict legal criteria including where it was produced, how it was produced, and how long it aged that fit it under the Parmigiano Reggiano umbrella.
Additionally, all Parmigiano Reggiano producers are owned by the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano 'Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium' which is in charge of marketing efforts for the product.
The Conzorzio offered Giorgia Villa the chance to be a brand ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano in , and she happily accepted, saying, "Since I was a child I have always loved this fantastic product, a symbol of Italian excellence and culture, and from today being able to collaborate with them makes me extremely proud and charged to face future challenges.
