IPC Athletes' Council Meets in Bonn

"One of our focuses over the two days of meetings will be to look at possibilities of how we can bring together the whole athlete community from all sports through social media."

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council is heading to Bonn, Germany, this weekend (21 and 22 May) for its first meeting in 2011.

Meeting at Gustav-Stresemann-Institut in Bonn, the nine members of the Athletes’ Council will have two busy days with a packed agenda.

Members of the IPC management team will update the Council about their work in various areas including Medical & Scientific, Development, Marketing, Paralympic Games and Media & Communication.

Other important agenda items include the election of the Athletes’ Council Vice Chairperson, as well as first discussions about the Athlete Representative Elections during the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games taking place in November and the Athletes Council Elections during the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Xavier Gonzalez, IPC Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am looking forward to a productive and fruitful meeting this weekend.

“The athletes are at the heart of the Paralympic Movement and therefore it is key for the IPC to get their views and their advice in all areas where athletes are involved.”

Bob Balk, Chairperson of the Athletes’ Council said: “One of our focuses over the two days of meetings will be to look at possibilities of how we can bring together the whole athlete community from all sports through social media. This will enable them to have a greater voice and provide a platform for discussion about key issues.”

The IPC Athletes Council is the collective voice of Paralympic athletes within the IPC and the greater Paralympic Movement. As the liaison between IPC decision-makers and Paralympic athletes, the IPC AC works to provide effective input into decision-making at all levels of the organization.

To this end, the IPC AC works to ensure effective athlete representation on all IPC committees and commissions as well as to create other opportunities for athlete representation both within and outside the IPC, including representation on the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

For more information on the IPC Athletes Council, please visit https://www.paralympic.org/TheIPC/HWA/Councils

Notes to the Editor:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 170 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Craig Spence, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager on e-mail: craig.spence@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-230. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org or www.ParalympicSport.TV