Jitske Visser elevated to top athlete role within IPC

Jitske Visser has been elected as Chairperson of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council. Her term as Chairperson will last for three years, as she loses a year off the normal term duration due to the postponement of the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games.

Visser, a member of the Dutch women’s wheelchair basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2020 Paralympics, will be made an ex oficio member of the IPC Governing Board. She will have voting rights on the board, and will attend her first meeting today according to the IPC.

The IPC also stated that they will recommend Visser for inclusion on the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.

Visser replaces Canadian Chelsey Gotell who headed the IPC Athletes’ Council from her election in 2017 until the end of her extended term in 2021. Gotell, in turn, is running for a spot on the IPC Governing Board as a Member at Large.

Even though she is only 29 years old, Jitske Visser is an experienced Paralympian. She has competed at four editions of the Paralympics Games in the sport of wheelchair basketball. She got her first Paralympic experience at Beijing 2008, when she took the court as a 15 year old.

Her gold medal at Tokyo 2020 was a nice upgrade from the two previous bronze medals she had earned as a member of the Dutch team at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Outside the Paralympic Games, she has won a world championship in wheelchair basketball with her Dutch squad, and a German domestic league title with her club team, RSB Thuringia Bulls.

Speaking on her election as Chairperson of the IPC Athletes’ Council, Visser said, “being elected as Chairperson is a huge honour to me. I am excited and proud to be representing the voice of the athletes. I’d like to thank Chelsey for her leadership and commitment as Chair of the Athletes’ Council.”

“I am looking forward to building on the foundations and achievements of the Athletes’ Council and engaging with athlete representatives within the athlete community.”

Outgoing Chairperson, Chelsey Gotell, commented on Visser’s election saying, “the IPC Athletes’ Council has accomplished a significant amount over the last four and a half years. It has been an absolute honour to serve as Chair of the Athletes’ Council and be the athlete voice on the IPC Governing Board.”

“I am proud to be stepping away from the group knowing that we have created a stronger foundation for the athlete voice within the IPC and the wider Paralympic Movement.”

“I am confident that Jitske as the new IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson and the rest of the Council will continue to progress the mandate of the Athletes’ Council in a meaningful way. I look forward to watching their progress and cheering them on from the sidelines over the coming years.”

IPC President Andrew Parsons added his voice to the chorus, stating, “congratulations to Jitske on becoming the new IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson. She is straight into the action attending her first IPC Governing Board meeting the day after being elected, but Jitske has extensive experience of the Games and Para sport, so I’m sure that she will do her fellow athletes proud.”

“The last two years have been extremely challenging for athletes, but the Athletes’ Council have played a crucial role ensuring that when decisions have been made that their voice has been central to everyone’s thinking. The IPC Governing Board welcomes their continued input to ensure that we remain an athlete-centric organisation.”

Jitske Visser will assume her role as Chairperson of the IPC Athletes’ Council during a crucial time period as the Paralympic movement builds towards the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing. Elections for three positions on the IPC Athletes’s Council will be held during the Games.

The 2022 Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled to begin on March 4 and last until March 13, 2022.