The women making the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games happen

Looking forward to watching the Winter Olympics early 2026?  Raise a hot mug of cocoa to these incredible women who make it happen. 

Ellen Farlow (Australian) 

Role: Transport/Arrivals & Departures Advisor 

Ellen Farlow has worked on arrivals and departures, airports and transport for the Olympic and Paralympic Games since 2000. She helps meticulously design, plan, and coordinate every arrival and departure, as well as the daily transport service – ensuring each of the 60,000 accredited Games participants and their luggage get where they need to be, when they need to be there. Ellen, with her colleagues, was recognised by IOC President Thomas Bach during the Tokyo 2020 Games, who thanked them for supporting the transport, arrivals and departures, and airport teams, through the challenge of the pandemic.

Kirsty Burrows (British) 

Role: Associate Director, Health, Medicine and Science, International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Kirsty Burrows is passionate about the incredible potential that sport has to address harassment and abuse, mental health, and wellbeing. Kirsty is Associate Director of Health, Medicine and Science at the International Olympic Committee, with a special focus on safeguarding from interpersonal violence and mental health and wellbeing in and through sport. Kirsty is also an Academic Director of the IOC Certificate: Safeguarding Officer in Sport programme. Kirsty moved into her field after working as a physiotherapist for elite athletes. She witnessed first-hand how systems and cultures within sport can foster environments that enable abuse to occur, as well as how mental health in sport is often overlooked, despite being irrefutably intertwined with overall health. Alongside her role at the IOC, she is studying for a PhD in Athlete Human Rights at Canterbury Christ Church University. 

Name: Raffaella Paniè (Italian)

Role: Brand, Identity and Look of the Games Director – Milano Cortina 2026

Raffaella Paniè is the Brand, Identity, and Look of the Games Director for Milano Cortina 2026. Through her work, she leads the creative process behind the design elements, including the emblem, pictograms, mascots, and overall aesthetic of the Winter Games. Drawing inspiration from Italy’s rich artistic heritage, Paniè aims to unite a new generation of creatives and the public to celebrate a modern “Italian spirit.” She emphasises that the Look of the Games reflects the positive qualities and talent of Italy. The Milano Cortina 2026 Torch and Medals will be unveiled in 2025, further showcasing this innovative identity.

Name: Benny Bonsu (British)

Role: Director of Daily Content, Olympic Channel Services

Benny Bonsu is a pioneering leader in the sports industry, currently serving as the Director of Content at Olympic Channel Services, a division of the International Olympic Committee (Olympics.com). Renowned for her groundbreaking work, Benny previously led the Women’s Sports Editorial team at GiveMeSportW, where she launched the first women’s-only sports platform, significantly boosting the visibility of women’s sports in the UK and globally. In the same year, she made history as the UK’s first female sports editor and the first woman of colour to hold this role.

Name: Amber Walbeck (American)

Role: Head of Event Infrastructure, International Olympic Committee (IOC)

A trained commercial designer, Amber Walbeck has been involved in Games overlay and venue development, the ‘look of the Games’, and wayfinding and signage for more than 20 years. Her first Games role was venue planning, site management and operations for the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake 2022. Now Head of Event Infrastructure at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), she is involved in every aspect of designing and building the Games-time venues – which includes the sports arenas, catering tents for staff and volunteers, and temporary infrastructure such as seating – making sure every detail is thought about in advance, to enable smooth operations. Alongside this work, she completed a master’s degree in crisis and emergency management. Paris 2024 was her eighth Games.

Name: Dr. Jessica Bartley (American)

Role: Senior Director of Mental Health Services, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)

In September 2020, Dr. Jessica Bartley was appointed the first Director of Mental Health Services for the USOPC and has since been promoted to Senior Director. Part of the sports medicine team, she is responsible for the development and implementation of mental health services and programming for Team USA. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology, with an emphasis on sport and performance psychology and behavioural therapy. Working in mental health for over a decade, her experience includes time with USA Karate as a clinical sport psychologist, as well as serving the mental health and performance needs for USA Track & Field athletes.

Name: Sarah Burston (Australian)

Role: Senior Sport Strategy Manager at International Olympic Committee // Mum

Sarah Burston has been with the International Olympic Committee since 2018 and currently serves as Senior Sports Strategy Manager. In this role, she works behind the scenes to shape the Olympic sports programme, overseeing the process and data that inform key decisions about which sports and events appear in the Games. Her team provides critical insights that help decision-makers shape the future of the Olympic program. Beyond her professional life, Sarah is a mother, cyclist, and a two-time cancer survivor. The experience has come with challenges, but it has also strengthened her resilience and given her a deep appreciation for movement, sport, and the opportunities they create.