Paralympian and sport scientist Prof. Burkett confirmed as VISTA 2025 keynote speaker
The VISTA Conference is an important international scientific gathering that provides a forum for exchanging information, research and expertise related to sport for people with a disability 07 Nov 2025
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed Professor Brendan Burkett as the fifth featured speaker to deliver a keynote address at VISTA 2025, the IPC’s leading sport science conference. This year’s conference will take place in Cairo, Egypt from 7 – 10 December 2025 under the theme “Developing Para Sport: Inclusion, Transformation, Health and Performance.”
Professor Burkett offers a unique perspective combining his own Paralympic experience with scientific expertise. A four-time Paralympian for Australia (1988 – 2000) in Para swimming, he won gold, silver, and bronze medals across his career and also served as the Opening Ceremony flagbearer at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
Following his retirement from high performance sport, Professor Burkett has shaped Paralympic performance through science, integrating engineering principles with applied sport science to transform Paralympic athlete performance. He served as sport science coordinator and head coach across five Paralympic Games (2004 – 2021) and multiple World Championships.
He also held leadership roles including Director of High-Performance Sport at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He currently chairs the Queensland Para Sport Network, helping prepare for the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.
Professor Burkett’s keynote presentation “From Research to Reality: Measuring What We Can’t See” will explore how science uncovers the unseen factors that shape performance and inclusion in Paralympic sport. Drawing on decades of research and collaboration, he will highlight how innovation and curiosity continue to redefine ability, performance, and possibility.
Professor Burkett said: “Scientific discovery is most powerful when it changes lives. The Paralympic Movement reminds us that research is not just about data — it’s about expanding human potential and redefining what’s possible.”
The VISTA Conference is an important international scientific gathering that provides a forum for exchanging information, research and expertise related to sport for people with a disability. First organised by the IPC in 1993, VISTA aimed to address the limited scientific research on elite sport for athletes with an impairment. It has evolved into a key forum for exchange on expertise related to Para sport and the Paralympic Movement. Today, the conference also aims to enhance and promote interaction among sport scientists, coaches, athletes and sport administrators.
Registrations for VISTA 2025 are currently open at https://vista2025.net/attending-vista/.
