Disability Sport Conference 2022

Craig is an award-winning communicator who joined the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in September 2010.

He is responsible for media relations, crisis management, digital media, media operations, brand and engagement functions and acts as the IPC’s official spokesperson.

His work in helping to reposition Paralympic sport as high-performance sport has enabled the Paralympic Games to grow into the world’s third biggest sport event in terms of ticket sales, with only the Olympics and FIFA World Cup selling more. Through using the Games as a platform to change attitudes towards disability, the Paralympics are now regarded as the world’s number one sport event for driving social inclusion.

In 2016 he was awarded European PR Professional of the Year, while the IPC Media and Communications team he heads was awarded in-house team of the year at the European PR Excellence Awards. He was named in the 2015 Leaders in Sport list as one of 40 Global Leaders under 40.

Ms. Miki Matheson is a member of the education committee of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and a project manager at the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center. She is a certified teacher who believes that the combined power of sports and education can create a better world.

She plays a key role in the creation, promotion and implementation of the education program called ‘I’mPOSSIBLE’. I’mPOSSIBLE is the IPC’s official Paralympic education toolkit of resources which was developed by the Agitos Foundation to engage young people in the Paralympic movement.

She has been passionate about sport all of her life and strongly believes sports are one of the most effective, high impact tools to initiate positive change in our society, and create a new mindset for a more accessible, inclusive and diverse life experience for everyone. She is an accomplished athlete, and a three-time gold and silver medallist at the 1998 Nagano Winter Paralympics.

In her current role, she aims to leave a positive influence in her hometown, Tokyo where the 2020 Games will be held through Paralympic education to make new inroads, for a better more inclusive world for all.

Charmaine is the Chief Executive of the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) and have been involved in disability sport since 1983 at all levels and in a diverse number of sports across all impairment groups.

She worked and volunteered in South Africa before moving to the UK, where she worked for Disability Sport England, prior to taking on her current role.

Practising as a nurse for many years, equipped her well for a career that also included being an Officer in the South African National Defence Force Medical Services (SAMS) providing aftercare for soldiers with disabilities.

She works tirelessly to provide opportunities to persons with disabilities to compete in sport in order to improve their quality of life and broaden their horizons.