Symetra Life Insurance Company today announced a new partnership with Paralympian Chris Waddell. The relationship positions the champion athlete, author and motivational speaker as a Symetra Benefits Division “brand ambassador” and a key component of a new outreach program aimed at benefits brokers and consultants. Waddell’s inspirational story of resilience and drive underscores what’s possible — for brokers, employers and their employees — when you have great teammates by your side.

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“For me, a great teammate is somebody who has your back." — Paralympian Chris Waddell.

Chris is a Hall of Fame athlete, a world champion in skiing and wheelchair track, and the first “nearly unassisted” paraplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

While competing in college, Chris sustained a skiing injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Less than a year later, he had redirected his competitive spirit to monoskiing and soon became the fastest in the world in the sport. He has earned 13 Paralympic medals in both skiing and track and field and is the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history.

“Symetra Benefits is incredibly proud to partner with Chris Waddell, who embodies integrity, determination and resilience, and uniquely understands the importance of having the right team in your corner,” said David Schneeweis, vice president, head of Workforce Benefits Sales. “We recognize the resilience needed to support employer groups and the challenges they and their employees face in today’s workplace. And we’re pleased to be able to team up with Chris out in the marketplace, learn more about those challenges, and explore how our innovative workforce benefits and stop loss solutions can help.”

“For me, a great teammate is somebody who has your back. Symetra gets it. In conjunction with benefits brokers, they’re doing it for employers and their employees by helping make it easier for people to recover from and reclaim their lives following a devastating illness or accident. That commitment, to me, is so important,” said Chris Waddell.

In support of the partnership, Symetra has introduced a new web-based resource, www.symetra.com/team, featuring Chris and his story, and launched a three-part social media marketing campaign that will run through early August:

• From adversity to achievement — After a life-changing ski accident, Chris Waddell saw the possible in the impossible. See how Symetra connects to his powerful message of resilience.
• From obstacles to opportunities — After a life-changing skiing accident, Chris Waddell didn’t let disability define him. Now he’s teaming up with Symetra to inspire what’s possible.
• Your teammate for what’s possible — As the first paraplegic to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, Chris Waddell knows the value of teamwork–now he’s teaming up with Symetra to help inspire others.

In addition, Chris will be joining the Symetra sales team at broker meetings and events across the country — and participating in an upcoming segment of Working Forward, Symetra’s own podcast series that explores workforce innovation and trends.

Symetra offers group life, disability, absence management — including paid family medical leave (PFML) — and stop loss insurance coverage. Its suite of group supplemental health products includes critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity insurance, and Symetra Health.

About Symetra

Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent financial professionals and insurance producers. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.

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“Symetra Benefits is incredibly proud to partner with Chris Waddell, who embodies integrity, determination and resilience, and uniquely understands the importance of having the right team in your corner.” — David Schneeweis, VP, Workforce Benefits Sales