The Brazilian received 109 of the 177
valid votes to be chosen over fellow presidential candidate Dong Hyun Bae of
South Korea who received 68 votes.
“I’m really happy, I think it shows
the confidence and the trust of the IPC membership with the direction of where
we are going with the Paralympic Movement,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons.
“From a personal point of view, being able to finish things that I started in
2017 when I was first elected, but also the opportunity to initiate new
projects, open new doors and new fronts in my last four years will be
incredible. I’m grateful to the Paralympic family for this wonderful
opportunity.
“I’m feeling a mixture of joy, happiness, and pride, but
overall, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the trust the IPC
membership has placed in me. I’m immensely excited for the next four years.”
Parsons, the former President of the
Brazilian Paralympic Committee and Americas Paralympic Committee, was first
elected to the IPC Governing Board in 2009. Before becoming the IPC’s third
President in 2017, he served as Vice-President between 2013 and 2017.
During his first eight years as
President, Parsons secured a long-term partnership with the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) through to 2032 and changed the IPC’s strategic
direction. Today, in addition to strengthening member organisations and delivering
exceptional Paralympic Games, the IPC showcases the impact the Paralympic
Movement’s activities have on driving social inclusion.
Parsons successfully steered the
Paralympic Movement through the pandemic and has overseen the successful
delivery of the Tokyo 2020, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024
Paralympic Games. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were the “most spectacular”
in history setting several new benchmarks and attracting a record number of
NPCs and athletes.
At the 2025 IPC General Assembly, IPC
member organisations made up of National Paralympic Committees, International
Federations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled also
elected Portugal’s Leila Marques Mota First Vice-President and Denmark’s John
Petersson as Second Vice-President. The pair succeed New Zealand’s Duane Kale
who served the maximum number of terms as IPC Governing Board member and could
not stand for re-election.
Leila Marques Mota is Vice-President
of the Portuguese Paralympic Committee and serves on the Executive and
Directors Board of the Portuguese Sports Foundation. A four-time Paralympian in
Para swimming, Leila was appointed Chef de Mission of the Portuguese team for
the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and previously chaired the Women in Sport
Commission of the Portuguese Olympic Committee. She is a medical doctor with a
degree from the University of Lisbon and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports
Medicine from the IOC.
Leila Marques Mota, IPC First
Vice-President said: “I feel very good and deeply honoured to be elected Vice
President of the IPC. I thank all the members that trusted me and feel that I
will be able to do a good job.
“I hope I can deliver what I promised. I want
to serve with active listening, integrity, transparency and close connection to
everyone so all the members and all the athletes can feel listened to and
equally represented at the IPC.”
John Petersson is a five-time
Paralympian in Para swimming, who represented Denmark from 1984 to 2000,
winning 15 medals.
He served two-terms as IPC Governing
Member-at-Large between 2013-2017 and 2021-2025, and is currently a member of
the IPC Audit, Risk and Finance Board Sub-Committee. His governance career
began in 2000 and in 2005 he became Vice-President of NPC Denmark before
assuming the Presidency, a role he still holds, in 2018. Petersson served as President of the European
Paralympic Committee from 2009 to 2017 and chaired the IPC Regions Council and
the Supervisory Board of the Agitos Foundation.
John Petersson IPC Second
Vice-President said: “I’m absolutely blown away to be elected the IPC’s Second
Vice-President. It’s quite amazing and I have worked hard for many years to
achieve this. I was first on the Board in 2013, then I was away for four years
and now I’m the Vice-President, so it feels fantastic.
“The members really contributed with
their knowledge and energy, all the conversations I had with them about their
aspirations have been really energising and I’m truly grateful for their
support.”
The IPC General Assembly decided to
adjourn after the first round of the elections for Members-at-Large due to time
constraints. The election of the Members-at-large to the IPC Governing Board
will continue at the earliest possible opportunity. The IPC will convene a
remote Extraordinary General Assembly for this purpose in accordance with the
IPC Constitution.