Andrew Parsons re-elected as International Paralympic Committee president

There was never any doubt Andrew Parsons would serve another term as International Paralympic Committee president, and it was confirmed at the 20th IPC General Assembly on Sunday.

The Brazilian sports leader, who has led the organization since 2017, ran un-opposed for the top job. Parsons was re-elected nearly unanimously, receiving 156 yes votes (98%) out of a possible 159 valid votes at an election conducted virtually.

“I would like to thank the IPC membership for your support, it is an absolute honor to re-elected as President of the International Paralympic Committee,” Parsons said. “I started as an intern in the Brazilian Paralympic Committee 24 years ago so to be re-elected after, what I think was a successful first four years, is fantastic, I am so over the moon.”

Parsons has held various positions within the Paralympic movement over the past 24 years, from intern to the presidency of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, before being elected to the leading role of the IPC. He replaced Sir Philip Craven, a former British Paralympian in basketball, in September 2017.

In addition to Parsons’ re-appointment, New Zealander Duane Kale was also re-elected for a second four-year term as IPC Vice President. Also standing unopposed, the four-time Paralympic swimming champion received 154 yes votes out of 159 valid votes.

In other elections, the IPC membership also chose 10 Members-at-Large to the 13-member IPC Governing Board. The new Board now includes a record six female members, in addition to a record eight Para athletes and Paralympians, all of whom will serve four-year terms through to the 22nd IPC General Assembly, which will take place in late 2025.

Parsons congratulated his vice-president Kale and the new members of the IPC Governing Board, noting its vast transition.

“It’s a very interesting and new Board; we have more women than ever before and, with the Chair of the Athletes’ Council, we have eight former Para athletes or Paralympians,” Parsons said. “This will help us a lot over the next four years.”

The IPC General Assembly also approved a new Constitution on Sunday, just three months prior the opening of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games.

“This was a very important step to our governance and our purpose – our purpose is clearer than ever before, it’s about the athletes and the membership, the Paralympic Games and it’s about human rights.

“Our organization is going through an incredible moment in time even though we are still facing the pandemic. With successful Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, we showed to the world what this Movement is about, what we stand for and how we focus on the well-being of our members and our athletes,” Parsons said.

Parsons spoke one-on-one with Around the Rings on a podcast, one day after the closing of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, sharing his feelings about not only the successful Games, in which more than 4,400 athletes from 63 countries competed, but also the launch of the WeThe15 Movement.

“The Games have exceeded expectations, they were really fantastic – we were warmly embraced, finally, by the Japanese population, but it was really difficult to get where we are and the Japanese people have been amazing,” Parsons told Around the Rings.

“There were some voices of concern, of course, as we all know that, prior to the Games, but during the Games we saw the change,” he said.

Concerning the WeThe15 campaign - which which refers to the 15% of the world’s population with disabilities - Parsons spoke about the excellent cooperation between the IPC and 20 international organizations, all striving to enrich lives, raise further awareness, change perceptions and break down barriers.

“There is a lot to be done, but it was important to launch it in the lead-up to Tokyo, because the Paralympics are the only global event for people with disability, so it was right to connect the campaign with it, but it is much more than sport,” Parsons said.

During his first four-year term, Parsons helped transform the culture within the IPC to make it a more membership-focused, athlete-centered organization, in addition to overseeing the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, navigating them through the pandemic.

Parsons also strengthened the IPC’s relationship with the International Olympic Committee, signing a new agreement between the two organizations which provides financial stability for the IPC and maintains the “One City, Two Games” model through to 2032. By adding a third strategic pillar to the IPC activities focusing on advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities, the Brazilian leader has also redefined the purpose of the organization.

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