How We Are Run

Nick Webborn, Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Brighton, is one of the leading sports medicine specialists in the UK, and a world leading researcher in the area of disability and Paralympic sports.

Nick has attended eleven Paralympic Games in various roles, including as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for ParalympicsGB at London 2012 and has also worked with the Invictus Games.

Webborn took over the position of Chair of the British Paralympic Association from Tim Reddish CBE, who stepped down from the role at the end of his two-term tenure in 2017, and was reappointed as Chair in October 2021 after an open recruitment process.

When not involved at his own clinic, Nick is also a member of the International Paralympic Committee Medical Committee, the World Olympians Association Medical Committee, the UKAD Therapeutic Exemption Committee and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences. Amongst his influential work, Nick started the IPC’s Injury Surveillance Programme in 2002. In 2016, Webborn was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours list for services to Paralympic Sports Medicine and the British Paralympic Association.

Nick studied medicine at the Royal London Hospital and was injured playing rugby at 24 years old whilst serving as a doctor in the Royal Air Force, subsequently spending time in both Headley Court and Stoke Mandeville as part of his rehabilitation. As an athlete Nick represented Great Britain in Wheelchair Tennis in 2005.

Pippa Britton is a double Paralympian who competed on the GB archery team for 15 years and who represented the Welsh able-bodied team on more than 20 occasions. She achieved podium places at 6 consecutive World Championships and 24 International events and gained 11 world records along the way.

Whilst competing she became the first para-archery athlete committee member at World Archery, representing archers all over the world, and after retiring moved into governance. She is now the Vice Chair of UK Anti-Doping and was Chair of Disability Sport Wales before joining the Board of Sport Wales as Vice Chair in 2017. She also contributes to the the International Paralympic Anti Doping Committee.

Her passion is working with organisations towards greater inclusion, improving equity and increasing disability awareness, all with well-being and fairness at the heart.

Kate’s career to date has spanned management consultancy and numerous senior line roles across the media, tech, Government, not for profit & innovation sectors. She’s spent the last 12 years working closely with CEOs & Boards on identifying and delivering strategic company transformations for organisations including Comic Relief, Nesta and Tech Nation. She now runs her own advisory business.

Kate’s passion is in unlocking the performance and potential of companies through strategy and people. She’s passionate about what is needed to lead a business in today’s hyper connected, multi-generational yet fragile world and is a strong advocate for socially responsible business.

Kate sits on the ReGenerate Working Council. She has previously been Chair of national charity, Missing People.

Chris was appointed to the Board in November 2018.

An experienced professional services Partner and formerly Head of Business Assurance at EY, Chris is currently Interim Head of Consult and Transform in Capita Experience

Graham Edmunds is a double Paralympic gold medallist having competed as a swimmer at three Paralympic Games (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012). He served on the Board of British Swimming for nine years as an athlete representative and is a qualified Pharmacist who used his expertise as a member of UK Anti-Doping’s athlete commission.

Graham also worked with British Swimming through the inception of the Code for Sports Governance including acting as the Board Anti-Doping Champion.

Sally is a leader in award-wining brand and sports partnerships, with a passion for driving inclusion through sport. She is the co-founder of the brand and sports consultancy, Y Sport, worked with SSE on their Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games partnership, and led Lloyds Banking Group’s London 2012 partnership. Sally is the former Chair of the charity, Women in Sport.

Fred was elected to the Board in November 2021. A recently retired Army Brigadier, Fred has some fifteen years’ intimate engagement with sport and adventurous training for serving and veteran wounded, injured and sick personnel.

He is the founder of Battle Back, the UK MOD’s programme which aids the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel through sport; was the CEO of the charity the Armed Forces ParaSnowsport Team for over 5 years; and is a Non-Executive Director in the Soldiers’ Arts Academy which provides a platform for injured veterans to use all aspects of the arts to help their recovery and transition to employment.

Whilst serving, he was also the Deputy Armed Forces Disability Champion, helping give a voice inside Defence for those serving with chronic or life-limiting conditions and disabilities, and was the MOD’s Deputy Director UK Invictus Games between 2016 and 2020.

Steve Ingham has a wealth of business experience as CEO of PageGroup, a FTSE 200, market leading, international business employing 9000 people, for 16 years.

Mr Ingham became a wheelchair user in March 2019 after a near fatal skiing accident. He is a passionate campaigner for greater inclusivity for disabled people in the workforce and advocates for mandatory requirements for firms to report on their disability strategies.

In recognition of his achievements in business and for disabled people he was awarded a CBE in June 2022.

Helene is as retired Paralympian having won the first ever Paralympic Gold medal in the sport of Rowing at the 2008 Paralympic Games as a single sculler and is a former World Champion and British Champion. She has also represented Great Britain in the Sport of Wheelchair Basketball winning two silver Paralympic World Cup medals. Helene has over 14 years’ experience working in Local Authority and NHS as a trained Public Health professional at local, regional and national level. She took a secondment in 2012 to work for LOCOG as part of the Sport Management team for rowing across the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Helene is Chair of the British Paralympic Association (BPA) Athletes’ Commission and a Non-Executive Director of the Sport and Recreation Alliance. Helene sits on the World Academy of Sport’s International Advisory Group and undertakes a variety of project roles such as Chairing the Inclusion Summit at the Rio 2016 Games & teaching with the Sports Association of Thailand. She is a trustee of the Disability Sports Development Trust and patron of Early Years SEND Charity Dingley’s Promise.

Helene represents the BPA at Global Athlete Gatherings, monthly Athlete calls and has sat on ethics and disciplinary panels for the IPC in relation to the Tokyo Games.

David was appointed Non-executive director in December 2019. He is a UK based entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for co-founding The Carphone Warehouse Group plc.

David has a wealth of experience across a number of sport and education organisations. He is a Board member of the British Olympic Association and was board member for Commonwealth Games England and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Helen was elected to the BPA Board in November 2018. She has worked in sport for 23 years, both in the UK and internationally and is CEO of Access Sport, a charity working to directly combat the shocking levels of exclusion, hardship and poor health faced by millions of children and young people in the UK, with a focus on young disabled people.

Before joining Access Sport Helen was Director of Innovation and then Director of Rowing Community and Strategy at British Rowing where she had a remit to support the needs of the rowing community, reach new audiences, support sustainability and drive growth. Prior to this Helen was Director of Consulting at CSM Strategic, the consulting team at Chime Sports Marketing and led their major sporting projects work with a focus on strategic planning, innovation and organisational transformation. She worked extensively with the International Paralympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Federation as well as multiple National Olympic Committees, cities and Sports Federations.

Anne is a Paralympian wheelchair racer, she competed at the Athens Paralympic Games 2004. She is a Non-Executive Director for both UK Athletics and Active Essex. She continues to encourage for an accessible, and inclusive society where people with disability are fully integrated. She holds a B.Ed degree and travels both at national and international level to advocate for inclusion in education, fashion, media, sport, and travel.

As the first Goodwill Ambassador for Action on Disability and Development, she successfully supported in the campaigning for nations to ratify the UN Convention on the “Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities”. She founded the Olympia-Wafula Foundation which works to sensitise communities through disability advocacy, educational scholarships and appropriate mobility aids such as wheelchairs and other assistive walking devices.

The Duke of Edinburgh has supported the BPA since he first visited the Paralympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 and has maintained a keen interest in the team’s achievements since that time.

He became the Royal Patron of the British Paralympic Association in November 2003 and as such has attended every Paralympic Games to support the team. The athletes and staff have valued his presence and knowledge of Paralympic sport.

Clare Balding is one of the BBC and Channel 4’s main sports presenters, fronting their Olympic, Paralympic coverage, live racing, including the Grand National, Royal Ascot, the Derby and l’Arc de Triomphe.

Clare, a Cambridge graduate, was elected President of the Union in 1992. She was a good all-rounder in sport, and was champion lady rider in 1990 and leading amateur flat jockey in 1989 and 1990. Clare was honoured with the Horse Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) Racing Journalist of the Year Award in 2003 and in 2004 she won both the HWPA Sir Peter O’Sullevan Broadcaster of the Year award and the prestigious Royal Television Society Sports Presenter of the Year award. In 2009, she was praised for “perfect presentation” by the judges of the Broadcast Awards who named the Grand National 2008 as their sports programme of the year. Among many accolades for her work in 2012, she was honoured with honoured with a special award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for her 2012 Olympics and Paralympic coverage.

Twitter: @clarebalding

To find out more about Clare please visit her website: clarebalding.co.uk

Paul joined the BBC Sports team in 1987 as a trackside reporter and since 1990 he has commentated on every major Athletics meeting for the BBC as well as the winter Paralympics and Olympics. A voice that is known to millions, he has also commentated on programmes such as the Lord Mayors Show, Superstars, World’s Strongest Man, Comic Relief and Sport Relief and many other major outside broadcasts.

As an athlete Paul competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics; Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980. He also held the British and Commonwealth Records for the hammer throw.

Paul is an accomplished host, working on events such as the Youth Sports Trust Annual Conference and the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme amongst many others.

Another string to Paul’s bow is stadium announcing, something he’s done at Paralympic World Cups and Paralympic World Championships, as well as IAAF Grand Prix events in Great Britain.

Tanni first tried wheelchair racing at St. Cyres Comprehensive School, aged 13. At 15 she won the 100 metres at the Junior National Wheelchair Games. At 18, she became a member of the Bridgend Athletics Club, the British Wheelchair Racing Squad and was selected for her first World Wheelchair Games.

In Seoul in 1988, Tanni represented Great Britain at her first Paralympic Games and won her first Paralympic medal, the 400m bronze. Spinal surgery forced Tanni to take a year away from the track and incredibly, at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, she stormed to victory taking four gold medals in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres. The same year, she won her first of six London Wheelchair Marathons. Tanni won the 800 metres gold in the Atlanta 1996 Paralympics along with three silver medals in the 100, 200 and 400 metres. At the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, Tanni returned with a vengeance, striking gold another four times in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres. In Athens 2004, aged 35, she took first place in the 100 and 400 metres bringing her Paralympic gold medal tally to an astonishing eleven.

In 2008 Tanni was appointed as a member of Transport for London, where she chairs the Environment, Corporate and Planning Panel, and is a member of the Surface Transport and Safety, Health and Environment Assurance Panels.

In 2010 Tanni was appointed to the House of Lords, where she serves as a non party political crossbench peer. Tanni took the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. Tanni is a working peer and hopes to use her experience and knowledge to great effect in debates in the House.

Twitter: @Tanni_GT

To find out more about Tanni please visit her website: tanni.co.uk

Chris Holmes is one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians, amassing nine gold, five silver and two bronze medals across four Games, including a haul of six golds at Barcelona 1992.

Today Chris is a Board Member of UK Sport and was Director of Paralympic Integration at the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG); a vital role in ensuring consistent delivery across the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.

Prior to working for LOCOG Chris worked as a practicing lawyer and has also worked as a freelance journalist and broadcaster at sporting events across the world. He undertakes regular speaking engagements for corporate, sporting and community based organisations. He was awarded an MBE in 1992 for services to British sport.

Aquatics GB (formerly British Swimming) is the national governing body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport.

https://www.britishswimming.org/

Archery GB is the trading name of the Grand National Archery Society, the national governing body for the sport of Archery in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

http://www.archerygb.org/

Boccia UK, formerly the Great Britain Boccia Federation (GBBF), was formed in 2007 to meet the growing need for Boccia to have a co-ordinated Great Britain wide approach to the development of the elite level of the sport.

www.boccia.uk.com

As the national governing body for Athletics, British Athletics oversees the development and management of Olympic and Paralympic Athletics, from grassroots right through to podium.

http://www.uka.org.uk/

British Curling is the organisation that manages and develops elite curling in Britain. It is responsible for delivering an elite performance programme for the sport that will ensure British curlers can achieve their potential and, ultimately, deliver medals in Paralympic and Olympic competition.

http://www.britishcurling.org.uk/index.asp

British Cycling is the national governing body for Olympic and Paralympic Cycling in Great Britain. It’s ambition is to inspire participation in Cycling as sport, recreation and sustainable transport.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/

The British Judo Association (BJA) is the national governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic Sport of Judo in Great Britain. It’s principal activity is the promotion and supervision of Judo activities.

https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/

British Rowing is the governing body for the sport of Rowing. It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representing Great Britain, and for participation in and the development of Rowing and Indoor Rowing in England.

https://www.britishrowing.org/

British Shooting is the National Governing Body for shooting para sport.

http://britishshooting.org.uk/

The main objectives of the British Sledge Hockey Association (BSHA) are to expand the number of teams active in the UK (and by association the number or participants), to re-introduce a national league and to develop the national team to ensure qualification for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

http://www.sledgehockey.co.uk/

British Triathlon is responsible for matters such as the Great Britain Elite, Paratriathlon and Age-Group Teams, British and International events, Anti-Doping and International Representation. British Triathlon also manages a number of services that are shared with the three Home Nations.

http://www.britishtriathlon.org/

British Weight Lifting (BWL) is the national body that governs Weightlifting and Paralympic Powerlifting in Great Britain.

http://www.britishweightlifting.org/index.php

British Wheelchair Basketball British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB) is the national governing body for Wheelchair Basketball in the United Kingdom. BWB is the representative body of Wheelchair Basketball in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

http://www.gbwba.org.uk/gbwba/

Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Limited (GBWR) is the national governing body for Wheelchair Rugby in England, Scotland and Wales. It is a national member organisation of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF).

http://www.gbwr.org.uk

GB Snowsport, formerly British Ski & Snowboard, commenced responsibility for Para Alpine Skiing, Para Nordic Skiing and Para Snowboard in July 2018. This followed the integration with British Parasnowsport which was previously operated by the charity Disability Snowsport UK.

Following Britain’s most successful Winter Paralympics in snowsports in PyeongChang, the target has now been set for Britain to become one of the world’s top five Parasnowsport nations by 2030.

https://www.gbsnowsport.com/

Goalball UK is the national body responsible for running Goalball in the UK, from grassroots to elite level.

http://www.goalballuk.com/

The LTA is the National Governing Body for tennis in Great Britain, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. They are responsible for governing and growing tennis in Britain, from grassroots participation through to the professional game. Their vision is tennis opened up; working towards a future where tennis is truly a sport for all.

https://www.lta.org.uk/

British Fencing is the national governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of fencing in Great Britain. 

British Fencing exists to serve the athletes, clubs, coaches, referees and countless volunteers who make up the fencing community.

https://www.britishfencing.com

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) is the national governing body for horse sports in the UK, affiliated to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of Equestrian sports.

http://www.bef.co.uk/

British Para Table Tennis (BPTT) is the national governing body for disability Table Tennis in Great Britain.

https://www.britishparatabletennis.com/

Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) is dedicated to supporting the most talented athletes in the Paralympic and Olympic disciplines of Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint Racing and Paracanoe to win medals at the highest level.

https://paddleuk.org.uk/

The Football Association (FA) was founded in 1863 as the governing body of the game of Football in England. The FA is responsible for all regulatory aspects of the game in England and is responsible for developing and regulating the game at all levels from grassroots to international.

http://www.thefa.com/

Volleyball England is the recognised national governing body for Volleyball, Beach Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball in England. Volleyball England is responsible for the development, promotion and delivery of Volleyball across England.

http://www.volleyballengland.org/

Disability Sport Wales (DSW) is recognised by the Welsh Government as its lead organisation for the development of sport and physical activities for disabled people.

http://www.fdsw.org.uk/home

Disability Sports Northern Ireland (DSNI) is Northern Ireland’s main disability sports organisation and is recognised by Sport Northern Ireland as the key body responsible for the development of sport and physical recreation for people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

http://www.dsni.co.uk/

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is the governing and co-coordinating body of all sports in Scotland for people of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability.

http://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds/

Activity Alliance (formerly EFDS) is the national body responsible for developing sport for disabled people in England.

http://www.activityalliance.org.uk/

British Blind Sport (BBS) aims to ensure that sport and leisure facilities are accessible to every blind or partially sighted person in the UK, with the intention of improving their physical health and self esteem.

http://www.britishblindsport.org.uk

Cerebral Palsy Sport (CP Sport) promotes and seeks to increase sport and physical recreational opportunities for disabled people and especially those who have cerebral palsy.

http://www.cpsport.org/

SportExcel UK, formerly UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability (UKSA), was established in 1980. It’s mission is to encourage the development of sustainable, integrated quality sports provision for people with learning disabilities from grass roots through to elite level.

sportexceluk.org

WheelPower (the British Wheelchair Sports Foundation) provides opportunities for disabled men, women and children to participate in recreational and competitive wheelchair sport.

https://www.wheelpower.org.uk/