COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - USA Archery is pleased to introduce the inaugural members of the Para Athlete Council. The council will represent the Para athlete membership and act as a voice on their behalf. Council members provide feedback to the USA Archery High Performance committee on Para related issues and act as a resource for and communicate with Para athletes. The council will also review Para selection procedures and provide feedback to the High Performance Manager.
The Para Athlete Council consists of five members: a recurve representative, compound representative, military representative, female representative, and the current Para athlete representative to the Athlete Advisory Council. Athletes were nominated for each position, and each Para athlete with a current international classification was eligible to vote for representatives in each category.
The members of the Para Athlete Council are:
On behalf of the female Para community, representative Kinga Kiss-Johnson commented: "Para female athletes in regards to the sport are the same athletes as able body athletes, we want to compete and achieve the same goals of being the best of the best. The only difference is that we have some special accommodation needs that only can be represented by someone who is living it every day. We need representation for our voice to be heard, and to build an environment to attract more female athletes to the sport of archery."
"It is truly an honor to be selected to represent the military community as part of the new Para Athlete Council," commented Chuck Lear. "I believe this is a step in the right direction in allowing Para athletes to have a voice in matters which directly affect them."
USA Archery CEO Denise Parker shares the athletes' enthusiasm in the introduction of this Council: "We are excited to see continued growth in the Para divisions. The Para Athlete Council will ensure that the Para community and their needs are addressed within USA Archery's policies and programs. We have a strong group of representatives and we look forward to working together in the future."
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