Andrew George William Parsons (born 10 February 1977) is a Brazilian sports administrator and journalist. He is the current president of the

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...

(IPC). In 2018, Parsons became a member of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

(IOC).

Biography

Parsons was born in Brazil to Scottish parents. He served as chairperson of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee from 2009 to 2017, chairperson of the

Americas Paralympic Committee Americas Paralympic Committee (acronym: APC; es, Comité Paralímpico de Américas ; pt, Comitê Paralímpico das Américas ; ca, Comitè Paralímpic de les Amèriques ; eo, Komitato Paralimpika de la Amerikoj ; french: Comité Paralympique des ...

from 2005 to 2009, and as a member of the Nominating Committee for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.. He is the current president of the

since 8 September 2017. Parsons took over from Sir

Philip Craven Sir Philip Lee Craven (born 4 July 1950) is an English sports administrator, former Paralympic wheelchair basketball player, swimmer and track and field athlete. Between 2001 and 2017 he was the second president of the International Paralymp ...

, who had been in office since 2001, after being elected in the first round in the election held during the 18th assembly of IPC in Abu Dhabi. Parsons himself does not have a

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, dev ...

, a fact that, he says, takes some observers by surprise. While attending the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

for the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Parsons declared his horror at the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

and called on world authorities to promote peace. While addressing the spectators and athletes in attendance at Beijing, China's

Bird Nest A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American robin or Eurasian bl ...

, Parsons stated that “Tonight, I want, I must begin with a message of peace” and that "As the leader of an organization with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now.”

Distinctions

Commander of the

Order of Rio Branco The Order of Rio Branco (''Ordem de Rio Branco'') is an honorific order of Brazil instituted by decree 51.697 of February 5, 1963. It is named in honor of the Brazilian diplomat José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco. The President of Brazil serves ...

* Diploma of Fair Play, awarded by the

International Fair Play Committee The International Fair Play Committee (french: Comité International pour le Fair Play), abbreviated as the CIFP, is a not for profit international non-governmental organisation which serves to foster sportsmanship in international competition. It ...

during the

2004 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 136 , athletes = 3,806 , events = 519 in 19 sports , opening = 17 September , closing = 28 September , opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos , cauldron = Georgios Toptsis , stadium = Olympic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, Andrew 1977 births Living people Brazilian journalists International Olympic Committee members Presidents of the International Paralympic Committee International Paralympic Committee members Brazilian people of Scottish descent