Deadline extended for IPC Athletes’ Forum

“The athletes’ perspective is the essential part of the Paralympic Movement and sports. In the IPC Athletes’ Council, we believe that exchanging ideas among athletes and recommendations from athletes’ standpoint are of vital importance to Paralympic Movement to remain and further become an athlete centered organisation. Your voice and your ideas matter!”

The deadline for athletes to register to attend the first ever International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Forum has been extended until Friday (7 April).

The forum will take place 8-10 June in Duisburg, Germany, and is an opportunity for Para athletes across all sports and nations to discuss, exchange ideas and learn more about classification, anti-doping, athlete representation, the Paralympic Games, dual career strategies, digital media, and sport ethics and integrity, among other topics.

To register, National Paralympic Committees and International Federations must submit an application form and nominate an athlete they would like to send to the forum. For more information, contact IPC Athletes’ Forum Event Coordinator Kelly.Berndt@paralympic.org

"One of the goals of this event is to bring our together athletes in a forum atmosphere to share best practices and create a communication structure for our athletes,” said outgoing IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson and former Canadian ice hockey player Todd Nicolson. “When you go home from this forum you will have a better understanding how to communicate within your International Federation and National Paralympic Committees. For the IPC Athletes’ Council, it will help us have access to the athletes and vice versa. And ultimately, it will help establish a better connection between the athletes and the IPC Governing Board and decisions makers within the Paralympic Movement.”

The forum will be divided into two events, with the first two days bringing together athlete representatives from each International Federation with the IPC Athletes’ Council. The last two days will target who hold a representative role within their respective National Paralympic Committees or are looking to do so.

Turkish archer and Athletes’ Council member Gizem Girismen added: “The athletes’ perspective is the essential part of the Paralympic Movement and sports. In the IPC Athletes’ Council, we believe that exchanging ideas among athletes and recommendations from athletes’ standpoint are of vital importance to Paralympic Movement to remain and further become an athlete centered organisation. Your voice and your ideas matter!”

For further information on the IPC Athletes’ Council, please visit the IPC website.