MY VISION
Equitable opportunity for every Para athlete in the world to realise their talent and achieve excellence in sport and in life, regardless of their geographic, political, and economic circumstances.
HAVE YOUR SAY
What is your priority for Para sport development in your region and why? Select from 5 below or include your own.
MY MANIFESTO - YOUR PRIORITIES
In preparing my manifesto, I have consulted Para athletes worldwide to understand athletes' priorities:
(1)
Representation of athletes from small and developing nations, by ensuring that the realities of their sport and everyday life are considered at governance level and interests represented during policy making.
(2)
Accessible and affordable classification and competition pathways for youth and developing Para athletes from underrepresented regions on their journey to the Paralympic Games.
(3)
Implementation of Safeguarding policies across the Paralympic movement, ensuring welfare of all Para athletes.
(4)
Gender equity in governance, workforce and field of play.
(5)
Driving impact through Para sport, by encouraging education and development programmes that leverage the platform of the Paralympic movement for positive social change.
MY MOTIVATION
I am running for the IPC Athletes' Council to be the voice of athletes from countries where Para sport is currently underdeveloped.
Over the past three editions of the Summer Paralympic Games, almost 50% of all participating countries were represented by teams of 3 or less athletes, which made up only 3% of total participants at each Games. These Paralympians typically come from small states, developing nations, regions in conflict, and countries with recently established National Paralympic Committees (NPCs).
As a Paralympian coming from a small island state myself, I have first-hand experience of the challenges faced by athletes, who lack strong administrative support and rely on enthusiastic volunteers to pursue their sporting dreams.
ABOUT ME
Paralympic Sport: Swimming
Nominating body: NPC Malta
Paralympic Games: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
Current roles:
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NPC Malta Treasurer (2022 – present) / Chair of the Athletes’ Council (2018 – 2022)
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IPC Athletes’ Council Member (2023 – present)
Education:
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PhD Candidate in Diplomacy and International Governance, Loughborough University London (2024 – present)
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Master of Science in Sport Management, Politics & International Development, Loughborough University (2020 - 2022)
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Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Professional Qualification (2011 – 2015)