IPC Athletes' Council holds first meeting with new members

The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Athletes’ Council held a meeting at the IPC Campus in Bonn, Germany, this week (7-9 July), its first gathering since the election of three new winter sport representatives at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

On Tuesday, the meeting focused on a series of facilitated workshops and provided an opportunity for the Council to come together with its new members, strengthen alignment on ways of working, develop new skills, and further build collective knowledge and expertise. The day was designed to support the Council's continued effectiveness in representing and advancing the athlete voice across the Paralympic Movement.

Wednesday featured updates from Council members on their respective fields, briefings from the IPC Management Team on key initiatives and projects, and opportunities for the Athletes’ Council to provide their perspectives and feedback on a range of topics, including anti-doping and Games delivery.

On Thursday morning, a joint session was held between the IPC Athletes’ Council and the IPC Governing Board, marking a significant step forward in fostering collaboration between athlete representatives and decision-makers.

Chairperson of the IPC Athletes’ Council Vladyslava Kravchenko said: “In addition to ensuring greater athlete representation across the Paralympic Movement, athletes need to play a greater role. The culture change athletes called for at last year's IPC Athletes' Forum is a shift from being stakeholders who are consulted to becoming part of the decision-making processes across our Movement. Seeing that principle translate into real practice this week, with new members already fully part of that shift, is a genuinely exciting moment for the Council and the Paralympic Movement.”

For Canadian Para ice hockey player Tyler McGregor, this was his first meeting of the IPC Athletes’ Council following his election in March.

“The meeting was phenomenal. It was a great learning experience, both in getting to know everyone personally for the first time and in seeing how the Council works together in practice. One of the key themes we discussed was moving from consultation to collaboration, and that is what I will take away from this week most strongly - the genuine collaboration that exists within the Council, between the Council and the Governing Board, and with athletes across the Paralympic Movement,” said McGregor.

Ugandan Para swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe is an appointed member to the Council to ensure regional representation.

“Being part of the Athletes’ Council is an incredibly rewarding experience. The past few days have been especially valuable, offering meaningful insights and opportunities to learn from one another. The workshop sessions, in particular, reinforced the importance of asking the right questions and presenting ideas strategically to the Governing Board. Understanding how to develop strong proposals that can be successfully approved and implemented is a skill that will benefit all of us,” said Kukundakwe.

Outgoing First Vice Chairperson Josh Dueck also attended the meeting, concluding his term in the role. He joined the Athletes’ Council in presenting their learnings and recommendations to the Governing Board on a new leadership model to help bridge the gap in athlete leadership and advocacy as communicated by athletes in the Athletes’ Forum and highlighted by the Chair. This was an exciting conclusion for Dueck as it signals a strong Council, receptive Governing Board and robust processes to empower and encourage growth and change.

The IPC Athletes’ Council is a group of athlete representatives elected by their peers who act as the voice of the Para athlete community to the IPC. Its role is to provide feedback and advice, and report to the Governing Board on IPC matters from the athletes’ perspective, on behalf of and in the interests of Paralympic athletes, and to engage with the athlete community.

Made up of 12 Para athletes, the IPC Athletes’ Council includes three winter athletes and six summer athletes, two appointed members and a representative of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. The Chairperson and first Vice Chairperson of the IPC Athletes’ Council also serve as members of the IPC Governing Board.

Elections for a new Vice Chairperson will take place at an election’s session later in July 2026.