Paralympian Cody has the right credentials for IPC vice-president role, says US Paralympics

By Gary Anderson

September 18 - American former wheelchair Paralympian Ann Cody is the perfect candidate to become the next International Paralympic Committee (IPC) vice-president due to her athletic achievements and her passion for disabled sport, according to US Paralympics.

The claim was made by general secretary Charlie Huebner, who believes that Cody, who is a multiple Paralympic medallist representing the US at the 1984 Paralympics in wheelchair basketball before competing as a wheelchair racer at 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona, has all the right credentials to take on the role.

"Ann has an outstanding record as an athlete and executive in the corporate and sport sectors," he said.

"She is a proven performer and has the necessary depth of experience, courage and integrity to represent the interests of every sector of the Paralympic Movement."

Elections for the IPC Governing Board will take place on November 24 this year at the IPC General Assembly in Athens, where Cody will be up against Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) President Andrew Parsons, while current IPC President Sir Philip Craven is running against fellow Briton Alan Dickson, who is the President of the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA).

Following her retirement from competitive action, Cody has pursued a successful business career which has seen her hold a number of senior corporate positions in Washington DC, but it is her involvement in the development and support of Paralympic sport in the US in particular that has contributed to her nomination for the vice-president's role.

Ann Cody is running for IPC vice-president at the General Assembly in November

She led the policy reform efforts within the US Olympic Committee (USOC) resulting in increased resources and a greater focus on the priorities of US Paralympics across the organisation, and as director of policy and global outreach for disability sports organisation, BlazeSports America, Cody established strong ties with the US Agency for International Development, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, and US Department of State.

She has also overseen the implementation of sport development and diplomacy programmes with Paralympic partners in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe, and contributed to the work of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, article 30.5, that recognises sports participation as a human right.