Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa's cheese sponsorship has Olympics fans melting

Olympian’s unique sponsorship resurfaces as she celebrates Italy’s silver medal in gymnastics.

Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa has demonstrated impeccable taste in sponsorships, having previously been the face of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Unlike most Olympians who promote sports drinks or athletic gear, Villa proudly represented one of Italy’s greatest culinary treasures.

After helping her team secure a silver medal in women’s gymnastics, fans were thrilled to discover that Villa was once a professional fan of formaggio.

In April 2020, Villa announced her savory sponsorship with an Instagram photo of herself in a leotard, posing with a giant wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

“I am very happy to be part of the great @parmigianoreggiano family,” she wrote, expressing her pride in collaborating with the iconic Italian brand.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Giorgina 🌹 (@giorgiavilla23)

Villa fondly recalled her childhood love for the cheese, a symbol of excellence and Italian culture.

Other posts featured Villa playing with snack-sized packages or hugging giant rounds of the cheese, with captions like, “Always together with my best friend @parmigianoreggiano, ready to start again and face new challenges!”

Villa’s last cheese-related post was in August 2021, and her partnership with Parmigiano-Reggiano ended in 2022.

However, the cheese consortium celebrated Team Italy’s silver medal on Tuesday with a statement to People magazine, expressing pride in the athletes’ achievements.

“The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium is always thrilled when the Italian team members, especially when so young, achieve such extraordinary results, and has always been sensitive to the world of sports,” the statement read.

It emphasized Parmigiano’s role as an essential food in everyone’s diet, particularly for athletes who benefit from its natural energy boost.

Villa and her teammates Angela Andreoli, Alice D’Amato, Manila Esposito, and Elisa Iorio earned second place in the women’s gymnastics team competition on Tuesday, marking Italy’s first medal in the sport since 1928.