From the IPC athlete council and womensportreports
Dutch sitting volleyball player Elvira Stinissen was elected as the new Vice Chair of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council on Thursday (2 October), following a vote in Berlin, Germany.
Stinissen, an experienced athlete both on and off the field of play, began competing in 2002 and was part of the team that won bronze at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
She then played for her country at London 2012 after which she founded ‘Sport-Ability’, an organisation dedicated to using sport to help people realise their potential.
Of her appointment, Stinissen said “I am really honoured that our Athletes’ Council elected me for Vice Chair and that they trust me to fulfil this role the best I can. We have some great challenges ahead of us in the next few years, so I am glad I hereby can support our Chairperson Todd [Nicholson] and with that represent all our athletes in the best way!”
A former member of the national NOC*NSF Athletes’ Commission, where she represented the interests of para-athletes, Stinissen, 35, was previously a Member on the IPC Athletes’ Council.
The vote took place at the IPC Membership Gathering, being held to mark 25 years since the IPC was founded on 22 September, 1989. It follows the sad passing in August of Council Member Jon McCullough.
The IPC Athletes’ Council is the collective voice of Paralympic athletes within the IPC and the greater Paralympic Movement.
- Sitting volleyball player Stinissen elected vice-chair of IPC Athletes’ Council. Zjan Shirinian 06 October 2014
Elvira Stinissen was voted on to the IPC Athletes’ Council during London 2012 ©Getty ImagesDutch sitting volleyball player Elvira Stinissen has been elected vice-chair of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council, it has been announced.
The Paralympic bronze medallist was voted into the position during the IPC’s Membership Gathering in the German capital Berlin, celebrating 25 years since the founding of the organisation.
“I am really honoured that our Athletes’ Council elected me for vice-chair and that they trust me to fulfill this role the best I can,” said Stinissem
“We have some great challenges ahead of us in the next few years, so I am glad I hereby can support our chairperson Todd [Nicholson] and with that represent all our athletes in the best way!”
Stinissen began competing in 2002 and was part of the bronze medal-winning Dutch team at Beijing 2008.
She competed at London 2012, where The Netherlands lost the bronze medal match to Ukraine.
After those Games, she founded Sport-Ability, an organisation dedicated to using sport to help people realise their potential.
The 35-year-old was elected a member of the IPC Athletes’ Council – which is the collective voice of Paralympic athletes within the IPC and the Movement – at London 2012.
The vote in Berlin was held following the death in August of Council Member Jon McCullough.
He represented the United States on the seven-a-side football team at the Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.
McCullough, who was elected to the Council in 2012, died of cancer.