Visa Sponsors Third Paralympic Hall of Fame Induction; Alpine Skier Chris Waddell First U.S. Paralympian to be Inducted

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) once again will be the presenting partner for the Paralympic Hall of Fame (PHF) induction ceremony to be held in Whistler, B.C., on Sunday, March 14, at 9:30 a.m. at the Paralympic Hospitality Centre in conjunction with the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. The induction ceremony will feature the third group of Paralympic athletes to be inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The IPC has selected three Paralympic greats for induction in 2010: cross-country skier Tanja Kari (FIN), alpine skier Chris Waddell (USA), and biathlon and cross-country skiing coach Rolf Hettich (GER). The three inductees were nominated by member organizations of the IPC based on their athletic performance, history of fair play and participation in community service. Kari, Waddell and Hettich then were selected by the IPC's Governing Board.

"Visa is again proud to be the presenting sponsor of this unique celebration honoring the achievements and spirit of Paralympic athletes and their coaches," said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa Inc. "As the partner of the Paralympic Hall of Fame, we understand the power of the Paralympic Movement and its exceptional ability to bring people, communities and nations together in peaceful sports competition. This sponsorship reaffirms Visa's commitment to the Paralympic Movement and to Paralympic athletes of the past, present and future."

The Paralympic Hall of Fame ensures that a permanent record and institutional memory is kept of top Paralympic athletes and coaches of all time, thus honoring the performers who achieved a high and sustained level of success in the Paralympic Games.

"The IPC is proud to induct Chris Waddell, Tanja Kari and Rolf Hettich into the Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame," said Sir Philip Craven, IPC President. "It is a thrill to be recognizing these three individuals, and I congratulate their outstanding achievements on and off the field of play. The Paralympic Hall of Fame not only celebrates excellence in competition, but it offers young athletes a positive role model to look up to in their future endeavors in Paralympic sport. The IPC thanks Visa for their continued support and commitment."

In order to be eligible, athletes and coaches must have achieved a very high and sustained level of success at the Paralympic Games. They must also have consistently displayed a spirit of fair play, and made a positive contribution to the Paralympic Movement. They must have ceased their participation in Paralympic sporting competition for at least four years (one Paralympic Games cycle).

Paralympic Hall of Fame election and induction ceremonies are held in conjunction with the Paralympic Games, and consequently take place only during those years in which the Paralympic Games are held. The Paralympic Hall of Fame currently exists as a virtual Hall of Fame on the IPC Website at http://www.paralympic.org/hof/main.html.

Previous Paralympic Hall of Fame inductees are:

2006
Jouko Grip (Finland) - nordic skiing
Ulla Renvall (Sweden) - nordic skiing (coach and guide)
Annemie Schneider (Germany) - alpine skiing

2008
Connie Hansen (Denmark) - athletics
Claudia Hengst (Germany) - swimming
Peter Homann (Australia) - cycling
Kevin McIntosh (Australia) - cycling
André Viger (Canada) - athletics

Visa has been a Worldwide Paralympic Partner and sponsor of the Paralympic Games since 2002 and recently extended its Paralympic Games sponsorship through 2012. Visa also is a worldwide sponsor of the Olympic Games and the exclusive payment card and official payment service for the Olympic Games and through 2020.

About the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality. Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 161 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

About Visa
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks-VisaNet-that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

Tags: Chris Waddell, International Paralympic Committee, Paralympic Hall of Fame, Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Visa