Athlete Council
THE IPC ATHLETES' COUNCIL
Our mission is to be the voice of all current, future and retired international athletes within the Paralympic Movement, in the strategic direction of the IPC and to support our athletes both on and off the field of play.
To achieve this mission, the IPC Athletes’ Council has a leading role to ensure all athlete representatives have the support and resources required to be effective athlete leaders within their country and sport.
Our strategy will serve as a guideline to all Paralympic Movement stakeholders in creating an effective athlete voice that represents the needs of Para athletes.
The IPC Athletes' Council also oversees the Athletes’ Council election process during the Paralympic Games. The Athletes' Council seeks to ensure that elections are organised in a democratic and fair manner.
Furthermore, recognising that the election process is the primary means by which athletes express their voice, the Athletes' Council focuses on education and awareness initiatives aimed at maximum participation.
CONTACT US
The IPC Athletes' Council wants to hear from you! We encourage athletes to share their perspectives, raise concerns, share ideas, and get involved. Reach out to us at athletescouncil@paralympic.org.
| ROLE | NAME | SPORT | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairperson | Vladyslava Kravchenko | Para Swimming | Malta |
| First vice-chairperson | Josh Dueck | Para Alpine Skiing | Canada |
| Second vice-chairperson | Yoomin Won | Wheelchair Basketball | Korea, Republic of |
| Member | Martina Caironi | Para Athletics | Italy |
| Member | Lenine Cunha | Para Athletics | Portugal |
| Member | Mitchell Gourley | Para Alpine Skiing | Australia |
| Member (Appointed) | Grigorios Polychronidis | Boccia | Greece |
| Member | Denise Schindler | Para Cycling | Germany |
| Member | Birgit Skarstein | Para Nordic Skiing | Norway |
| Member | Yujiao Tan | Para Powerlifting | China |
| Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission | Emma Terho | Ice Hockey | Finland |
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER?
The first requirement of a candidate for the IPC Athletes' Council is a keen interest in the Paralympic Movement.
The second requirement is a strong commitment to working for and representing all IPC athletes.
The third and most important requirement is having the time and passion to make a difference for Paralympic athletes of today and tomorrow.
To be eligible for election to the Athletes' Council an individual must be an active Paralympic athlete.
An active Paralympic athlete is defined as:
- an athlete that is competing in the current edition of the Paralympic Games or Paralympic Winter Games at which the election is taking place
- an athlete who has competed in either of the previous two editions of the Paralympic Games (if the election concerns summer sport athletes) or Paralympic Winter Games (if the election concerns winter athletes).