MILAN, Italy — With a lanyard draped around his neck and dozens of pins fastened to his jacket, Jeff Wells scans the crowd outside the pin trading center in Milan, searching for his next conversation.
Wells, of St. Louis, is attending his 12th Olympic Games. His reason for coming, however, isn’t to compete or even to watch the events live. Rather, his mission is to meet people through trading pins.
“Pin trading’s called the unofficial spectator sport of the Olympic Games,” Wells said.
At Olympic venues — from the Olympic Village to the official pin trading center in Milan — spectators, athletes and volunteers search for collectible pins, trading with others in hopes of expanding their collections.
The thousands of pins circulating throughout the Games represent cultural symbols, animals, traditions and mascots, each telling a unique story. For many, the exchanges become a universal language — simple trades that create instant connections.
“It’s a great way to go from stranger to having a really meaningful encounter,” Wells said. “We use pin trading for fun, to meet other people and to experience other cultures.”
Each Games, Wells arrives with a custom-designed pin that carries a specific message. His “Beyond the Rings” pin serves as a reminder that there is more to the Olympics than competitions and medals.
“Ours is called Beyond the Rings because we want to remind people that as much as we love the Olympics — the culture and all the wonderful things about them — there’s more going on,” Wells said. “In the midst of it all, let’s enjoy it but know that there’s more going on — and that’s God.”
His 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics pin features 13 flags representing the countries that have hosted the Games he has attended during the past 26 years.
According to its mission statement, the Beyond the Rings website says the pins open doors for meaningful conversations with people from all walks of life.
When asked about a memorable Olympic moment, Wells recalled sharing the message of Jesus Christ at iconic locations around the world — at the foot of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, along the Great Wall of China in Beijing, and now in front of the Duomo di Milano.
A previous trip to China carried even deeper meaning. Years earlier, he and his wife adopted their daughter from China. Returning for the Games allowed him to share his love of the Olympics while revisiting a country close to his family’s heart.
“There are so many incredible icons around the world, but to have conversations about what’s been done for us through Jesus Christ is even cooler,” he said.
Not every interaction ends warmly. Some people politely decline to engage, Wells said, and one encounter has stayed with him.
“I was literally chased out of the Bird’s Nest in China for sharing the gospel,” he said, referring to Beijing National Stadium. “They were chasing us out.”
Despite those moments, Wells said his purpose remains unchanged. For him, the pins are more than souvenirs — they are reminders of what he believes is the reason behind life.
“When you know He loves you through His son, Jesus Christ — that’s why I come,” Wells said.