Olympians send messages of support to Children’s Hospital in Milan

6 | 5 | 2026

The OLY House Hub in Milan during the Olympic Games perfectly expressed the WOA’s mission of Service to Olympians, Service to Society. The Hub was a great service for Olympians, but it also gave them the opportunity to give something special to the children of Milan who were hospital bound.

Metro 5 kindly gave the WOA a space at their Monumentale station for the duration of the Games. What began as a location became something far greater, an OLY House Hub where Olympians from across the world gathered, reconnected, enjoyed each other’s company and added their signatures and messages of hope and support to a growing wall of Olympic voices. Every word on that wall was dedicated to one place: the Buzzi Children's Hospital in Milan, which is supported by Metro 5.

Metro 5 Technical Director Diego Polotti said: "The poster signed by Olympians who visited the OLY House Hub at the Monumentale M5 station during the Olympic Games is a gift for the hospital's children and today finds its home at the Buzzi Hospital. There are many positive messages about sport, energy, and sharing for the youngest patients. With this gesture, Metro 5, together with Fondazione Buzzi, strengthens its commitment to bringing value to the city."

WOA President Pernilla Wiberg OLY made the journey back to Milan to personally hand over the poster to the hospital and said: "It was an honour to deliver the poster directly to the hospital. After talking with doctors, nurses, administrators, and the hospital clowns, I went to say hello to the children. It was so inspiring. I could see the spark in their eyes when I was telling them about my Olympic journey, what I learned, the lessons for them and what hosting the Olympic Games meant to their city and their country in the eyes of the world.”

Pernilla concluded: “I’d just like to remind all Olympians that you have the power to make a real difference. Sharing your journey and inspiring others, that is Olympism at its best. That is what we do. That’s in our DNA. Please go out there and tell your stories, the world needs it."