Meet Francis Ceccarelli, our Filipino representative at the 2026 Winter Olympics
For a country without as much as a lick of snow, the Philippines has had quite the relationship with the Winter Olympics. Back in 1972, we became the first-ever tropical country to join the games with Juan Cipriano and Ben Nanasca. Since then, we’ve sent several more athletes to compete, with Michael Martinez in 2014 and 2018 for figure skating, and Asa Miller in 2018 and 2022 for alpine skiing, being among the most notable.
This 2026 Winter Olympics, the Philippines looks to further cement its place in the game’s history, with Tallulah Proulx, the Utah-based 17-year-old phenom, and the 22-year-old Filipino Italian Francis Ceccarelli, each repping the flag in their respective giant slalom and slalom events.
“We already gave our countrymen gold in the Summer Games—doing it twice, winning three—in less than four years. Now, let’s aim for our first-ever Winter medal—gold if possible,” says Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
With her vibrant social media feed, the internet so far has gravitated toward Proulx, introducing her to a crowd of eager Filipinos looking to dip their toes in the field of winter sports. But what about Ceccarelli? Here’s what we know about the Abetone alpine skier.
1. He was born in Quezon City
Ceccarelli was born on Nov. 15, 2003, in Quezon City. He was then adopted by Italian parents and moved to Italy at the age of eight. Details surrounding his biological parents have yet to be disclosed anywhere.
“Since I started skiing, my Filipino identity has always been with me. It represents where I was born and where I’m from. It was a goal for me to ski for the Philippines, because it is not every day that we have a Filipino athlete skiing at an international level,” says Ceccarelli to Nischal Schwager-Patel of Olympics.com.
He currently lives in Abetone, Tuscany, and formally obtained his Filipino passport and citizenship in May 2023.
2. His mother was a professional skier
His mother, Lisa Seghi, was a former professional skier who also participated in the giant slalom and slalom events. Performance results on the Fédération Internationale de Ski et de Snowboard (FIS) database indicate that Seghi professionally competed from 1966 to 1977.
3. He is an Olympic Solidarity athlete
The Olympic Solidarity scholarship is an initiative by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) designed to allow athletes the opportunity to compete on the world stage regardless of their background. Since its institutionalization during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Olympic Solidarity scholarship has evolved to continue providing select athletes with monthly grants to aid them in their training.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics features 448 scholarship recipients.
4. He’s looking to bounce back from his performance in the 2025 Asian Winter Games
Ceccarelli first suited up in red, white, and blue at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin. Unfortunately, he was disqualified for exceeding slalom lines.
“The Asian Games were a disappointment, but also a life lesson. It made me understand that you need to manage yourself. You need to be very smart. Sometimes the experience of the moment matters more than the victory,” he also tells Olympics.com.
“It is just an honor to participate. My aim is not just to take part, but to finish in the top 50—and get to the bottom of the course, above all,” he adds, looking to cement his place as among the world’s top alpine skiers in this year’s Winter Olympics.
5. He likes football and boxing
Outside alpine skiing, Ceccarelli shared with Olympics.com that football is his second sport—he idolizes Francesco Totti, a hall-of-fame player who played for the AS Roma club.
He also regards the people’s champ, Manny Pacquiao, as one of his idols. “He is very important in the Philippines. He has a good character and is so mentally resilient. He is a great person and very humble, not only in life but also in sport. He has achieved a lot, and I would like to become like him,” he tells Olympics.com.
