The British Olympic Association’s (BOA) Athletes' Commission is currently accepting nominations for a Chair and six members for the Commission. The closing date for applications for both roles is Friday 23rd Nov 2012.
The BOA Athletes' Commission is an advisory group set up to ensure that the athletes' viewpoint and interests are at the heart of everything the BOA does. The Commission has 12 members, made up of a mixture of past and present athletes, men and women from summer, winter, team and individual sports.
To establish a staggered membership and continuity, the BOA Athletes' Commission this week voted for six of its current 12 members to stay on the Commission for a further two years, to complete a four year total term to December 2014. The following athletes were confirmed to stay on the Committee*:
Ben Hawes – Hockey
Goldie Sayers – Athletics
Henry Nwume – Bobsleigh
Jackie Lockhart – Curling
Karen Pickering – Swimming
Sarah Gosling – Sailing
The elections for a Chair and six members will be the first elections since the BOA Athletes' Commission was formed in 2010. Member positions are voted for by fellow athletes and Olympians who competed no later than Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. A panel of three current Athletes' Commission members as well as current Chair Sarah Winckless, BOA Chief Exec Andy Hunt and BOA Board Member Richard Leman will create a shortlist of candidates to fill the six member positions. This shortlist will then be shared with Olympians who are eligible to vote. Voting will take place from 14 - 28th December via anonymous email and postal vote. The final outcome will be announced in January 2013 after all legitimate votes have been counted.
Applications for the Chair of the Commission will be shortlisted by a selection board comprising of three members of the Commission, BOA Chief Exec Andy Hunt and BOA Board Member Richard Leman. On 6 December the shortlisted candidates will give a presentation to the BOA Athletes' Commission as a whole, followed by a Questions & Answers session. The Chair will be voted in by the current Athletes' Commission members after this process.
The Chair is a paid role for two years to December 2014 and the six members of the Commission will sit for 4 years to December 2016. Candidates must be over the age of 18 and a former summer or winter Olympian who competed no later than at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Andy Hunt, BOA Chief Executive underlined:
“The impact that the BOA Athletes’ Commission has had in its first two years has been enormous. The wealth of experience amongst the group of Olympians and their enthusiasm for making a difference for their fellow athletes has meant that the Commission has made a noticeable difference to the support and the services that the BOA provides to our past, present and future Olympians. But there is so much more that can be done and we hope that many of the talented and enthusiastic Olympians out there will put themselves forward for the upcoming elections.”
Katherine Grainger, London 2012 Olympic rowing Gold Medallist and BOA Athletes’ Commission member commented:
"'Being part of the Athletes Commission has been a fantastic experience. I had no real idea what level of involvement any of us as members would have or how much influence the Commission would have as a body, but I am very happy to say that there have been so many valuable opportunities to play a part in all aspects of Olympic sport.
“From issues on drug testing to location and types of training facilities, from the design and the amount of kit, to advising on media relations, from discussing post-career options for athletes, to show-casing sport across this country, the Commission has played an important role and being a member has proved to be a challenging but incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience.
“And there's still so much more to be done - it's a very exciting time to be involved in sport and a crucial time to keep improving all aspects of what we do."
Please visit www.teamgb.com/athcom for further information about the roles, the Commission itself and how to apply.
The first meeting with the newly elected BOA Athletes' Commission will take place in 2013.