In the weeks leading up to P2PForum26, like many of us, I found myself glued to the Winter Olympics. Before long, my mind started forming connections between the games and peer-to-peer fundraising. The more I watched, the clearer the links became.

Both are built on teamwork. Athletes compete for the medals, sometimes individually, but they can’t get to the games without the support of their coaches, trainers, families, and fans behind them. In P2P, the same is true: participants, volunteers, staff, and donors each play an essential role in moving a mission forward.

Both are powered by belonging. Fans wear their colors with pride. Fundraisers wear their team shirts and share their stories. Over time, supporters become superfans who train, recruit, and fundraise because they feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Both recognize that success is built on incremental change. Big wins rarely come from a single breakthrough moment; they’re the result of small, almost imperceptible improvements that compound over time, built step-by-step through experimentation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

And both show what resilience really looks like in hard seasons. Olympians push through injury and disappointment. Many of your participants are chasing big goals while also carrying illness or loss. And many of you are leading campaigns in a nonprofit landscape where strategies constantly shift and resources are often stretched.

If P2P were an Olympic sport, the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum would be our Olympic Village, a place where leaders gather not as competitors, but as teammates, learning, iterating, and pushing the entire field forward together.

This village wouldn’t exist without all of you, your contributions, your enthusiasm, and your relentless dedication to your causes and communities. Thank you for being part of Team P2P.