The Cigna Group and Connecticut Governor Lamont Celebrate Freedom Team Athletes During 2023 Achilles International Relay

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05/22/2023 - 08:00 AM

Gov. Lamont, Cigna CEO David Cordani honored the team's wounded military personnel and veterans at the State Capitol during the Connecticut leg of their relay from Boston to D.C.

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) celebrated Achilles International and its Freedom Team athletes Thursday as the athletes visited Connecticut during the 2023 Achilles Relay, a 500-mile run, walk, and wheeling journey from Boston, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C. The relay is a celebration of inclusion, perseverance, and the transformative power of the sport of running.

The Cigna Group Chairman and CEO David M. Cordani guided the Freedom Team, a group within Achilles International comprised of wounded military personnel and veterans, on a bicycle from The Cigna Group's headquarters through downtown Hartford. Governor Ned Lamont met Cordani and the athletes at the Capitol and presented the Freedom Team with the Connecticut state flag.

"We congratulate Achilles International on their 40th anniversary and continue to celebrate this organization for creating supportive communities and lifting up so many lives," Cordani said. "Our ride this week, like everything Achilles does, shows how they have such a positive impact on the athletes and those who cheer them on. We're inspired by the way they continue proving anything is achievable when you bring together like-minded individuals who share the same vision and goals."

Lamont praised the athletes on the Achilles Freedom Team as role models for what it means to brave, caring, and strong leaders. "It was an honor to greet them as they stopped by the State Capitol in Hartford while on their journey to D.C.," Lamont said. "These veterans served our country admirably, and they continue to be an inspiration in their civilian lives. I love what Achilles International and its Freedom Teams are doing to promote diversity and inclusion in athletics – the social connections they are building are having a big impact."

Mike Sprouse, a veteran who serves as the Freedom Team's captain, also spoke at the event. "The Achilles Relay is like one big family reunion where we get to connect with several Achilles chapters," he said. "We build trust knowing that everyone is going to do their job to support the team. We're all working to move that baton forward. We all become stronger and make memories for life. Being on campus with Cigna employees who have supported our team for many years just made the day that much better."

The relay team will head to New York City next with stops in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Baltimore before finishing in Washington on May 23.

About The Cigna Group

The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) is a global health company committed to creating a better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community. We relentlessly challenge ourselves to partner and innovate solutions for better health. The Cigna Group includes products and services marketed under Evernorth Health Services, Cigna Healthcare, or its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 165 million customer relationships around the world. Learn more at thecignagroup.com.

About Achilles International

Achilles International empowers all people living with disabilities to participate in adaptive running and endurance sports. We build a supportive community to break down barriers to the start line and beyond. Our vision is a world where everyone can run, walk or roll together. We reframe what's possible whether it's in the park, on the race course or in everyday life.

For more information about volunteering as a guide runner, joining as an athlete with a disability or making a donation, visit www.achillesinternational.org.

Media Contact
Meaghan MacDonald
1 (860) 840-1212
meaghan.macdonald@cigna.com