Francis Ceccarelli returns to his roots to represent the Philippines at Milano Cortina 2026
Francis Ceccarelli, back to the beginnings with the Philippines
Ceccarelli is open about his adoption journey, which saw him travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) around the world as a child. Shortly after arriving in Tuscany, he started skiing and the Italian-Filipino quickly fell in love with this activity.
His mother, a former professional skier Lisa Seghihad an influence on his sporting trajectory. Described as “a master skier” by her son, she was also one of Ceccarelli’s biggest advocates to represent the Philippines, a process that lasted over three years, before he obtained his Philippine passport and citizenship in May 2023.
“My mother was very happy, we both were,” he said. “She taught me everything I know about the art of skiing. Family is very important, especially when you are alone and have no family. I could continue skiing as long as possible until I got tired.
“I really wanted to get the passport to have the pride of participating in the Olympic Games. It is an honor and a big deal to compete for my home country. I am happy because I can continue playing the sport I love and even bring the Philippines to an important international level.”
For Ceccarelli, flying the golden sun flag goes beyond his Olympic aspirations. It’s a chance for him to reconnect with his homeland, a country that has given him strong support through the Philippine Olympic Committee.
This has no impact on his Italian identity, as the 22-year-old continues to maintain strong ties to the country where he grew up. Nonetheless, he recognizes how much harder it would have been to reach the same level in the Azzurri team.
“Competing for Italy is unfortunately difficult because in Italy the level is very high and we know there are many athletes,” explained Ceccarelli. “The Philippines really makes you feel important. I can tell you that I am free and happy. It has always been in my heart, even though I haven’t really visited it much.”
The Quezon City native added, “I already wanted to go to the Philippines, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since I was adopted, I got to see the whole world and experience the Philippines. It was really beautiful – I haven’t visited the coast yet, but maybe it can be the next destination when I return.”
