Toyota Motor Korea presents Sienna Hybrid to Paralympics MVP Kim Yun-ji

Paralympic cross-country skier Kim Yun-ji, second from left, poses with Toyota Korea CEO Manabu Konyama, left, at the Japanese automaker's showroom in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Toyota Korea

Toyota Motor Korea said Friday it presented a Toyota Sienna Hybrid to Kim Yun-ji, who was named the Korean team’s most valuable player at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

The ceremony was attended by Manabu Konyama, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Korea, Korean Paralympic Committee Chairman Jung Jin-owan and Kim's family.

Kim, 19, competed in six events across para biathlon and para cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, winning two gold medals and three silver medals.

Her five-medal haul set a record for the most by a Korean athlete at a single Olympic or Paralympic Games, summer or winter. She was later named the national team’s MVP in a vote by journalists covering the Korean Paralympic Committee.

Toyota Motor Korea said the vehicle presentation was part of its global “Start Your Impossible” campaign, which emphasizes pushing beyond perceived limits, and was meant to honor Kim’s performance at her first Paralympic Games.

“The fighting spirit shown by Kim has deeply moved and inspired us all. Toyota Motor Korea will continue to fully support all para athletes who challenge their limits against the impossible,” Konyama said.

Toyota Motor Korea has maintained an ongoing partnership with the Korean Paralympic Committee to support the development of disabled athletes and the performance of national team athletes. Ahead of the 2026 Paralympics, the automaker provided 100 million won ($66,000) in sponsorship to help establish a stable training environment for the national team.

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Toyota Motor Korea also provided special encouragement funds to the national team and presented a RAV4 Hybrid to shooter Park Jin-ho, who was named MVP of that delegation.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.