The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced two-time Olympian Lizzie Simmonds as the newly elected Vice Chair of its Athletes’ Commission (BOA AC). Simmonds was voted to serve a two-year term as Vice Chair at a BOA AC meeting in London on Wednesday.
Simmonds made her Olympic debut as a 17-year old at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, placing 10th in the 100m backstroke as well as reaching the final before coming sixth in the 200m backstroke. At the London 2012 Games she finished just shy of the podium when she placed fourth in the 200m backstroke.
The 28-year-old who has been a member of the BOA AC since November 2016 will support Chair Ben Hawes with the leadership and strategic direction of the Commission and will also act as an athlete representative on the BOA’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).
BOA AC Chair Ben Hawes said: “Lizzie is extremely passionate about supporting the athlete community and has played an active and engaged role on the Athletes’ Commission for the past two years. I look forward to working with her to continue to drive an athlete centric agenda within the BOA and the Olympic family.
Simmonds added: “Since being elected onto the BOA Athletes’ Commission in 2016 I have relished the opportunity to use my own experience and the athlete perspective to promote and support the BOA’s mission and I am delighted that I have been voted by my fellow Athletes’ Commission members to the role of Vice Chair. I look to forward to working with Ben and the Commission to ensure that the interests of Team GB athletes remain at the forefront of decision-making at the BOA for Tokyo 2020 and beyond.”
The VC’s term will run for two years from January 2019 to December 2020, with an opportunity for re-election for one further two-year term.