USA to stage second IPC Athletes’ Forum

“Having the opportunity to bring together our athlete leaders face-to-face is incredibly important to the IPC Athletes' Council and the IPC as an organisation in delivering on our commitments, creating a truly athlete-centred movement and shaping the future of the Paralympic movement.”

Around 100 Para athletes are expected to attend the second edition of the 2019 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Forum at the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Training Centre in Colorado Springs from 22-24 November.

The participants will be drawn from the IPC Athletes’ Council, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, Regional Organisations, National Paralympic Committees, Organising Committees, World Anti-Doping Agency and IPC Standing Committees.

Following the launch of the Athlete Council’s strategy on 22 March, the three-day event will give athletes from around the world the chance to have an open discussion about its implementation and share information and best practices of athlete representation with one another .

It will also offer the opportunity to see how best the IPC Athletes’ Council can continue to support athlete representatives to become more effective in their roles.

“We are excited to announce the date and location of the second IPC Athletes' Forum and extend a huge thank you to the USOC for hosting us,” said IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson Chelsey Gotell said.

“The first Athletes' Forum was held in Duisburg, Germany, in 2017 and was a huge success. It gave us and all athlete representatives the invaluable opportunity to develop stronger relationships with one another and have really engaging sessions on the topics that impact the athlete community the most, such as classification, anti-doping, dual career and the Paralympic Games.

“Athletes representing different sports and countries had the chance to come together to share their knowledge, ideas, best practices, concerns and ask questions regarding the future of the Paralympic Movement.

“It was the discussions and outcomes from the 2017 forum that helped the IPC Athletes' Council solidify the direction the IPC Athletes' Council strategy should take. Elected by our fellow Paralympic athletes, it is our responsibility to ensure we are effectively serving them and listening to their needs and feedback.

“The 2019 forum will help us build on implementing our strategy via programmes and resources that will benefit fellow athletes and the overall movement for years to come.

“Having the opportunity to bring together our athlete leaders face-to-face is incredibly important to the IPC Athletes' Council and the IPC as an organisation in delivering on our commitments, creating a truly athlete-centred movement and shaping the future of the Paralympic movement.”

A formal invitation with further information will be shared with athlete representatives, the IPC membership and stakeholders in the coming weeks.