Four Paralympians appointed to Ministerial Athletes Advisory Committee

Four Paralympic athletes are among the 14 athletes who will form the new Ministerial Athletes Advisory Committee, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough announced last Friday.

The Paralympians are boccia player Alison Levine of Montreal (2016, 2020, 2024 Paralympic Games), Para ice hockey player Rob Armstrong of Erin, Ontario (2018, 2022 Paralympic Winter Games), wheelchair basketball player Erica Gavel of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (2016) and pitcher Ness Murby of Toronto (2016).

Through this Ministerial Advisory Committee, athletes will have a dedicated platform to share their perspectives directly with the Canadian government. They will provide advice and guidance on a range of priorities, including safe sport, governance and accountability, Canadian sport policy and federal funding.

Athletes were selected following an open call for applications. The committee meets every three months, with the first meeting expected to take place after the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in the fall.

A call for applications was opened from February 1 to March 12, 2023, for athletes to express their interest in participating in an Athlete Advisory Committee. Following the elevation of the Advisory Committee to a Ministerial Advisory Committee, the call for applications was reopened from January 11 to February 6, 2024, for Canadian senior national team athletes to express their interest in participating.

The 2024 budget provides for the following:

$35 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $7 million ongoing for the Athlete Assistance Program. This would increase funding for supported athletes and support additional athletes in new Olympic and Paralympic sports disciplines.

$16 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, for the Sport Support Program to help create safer and more welcoming sporting environments for all athletes, from amateurs to Olympians and Paralympians. Priorities include preventing and addressing abuse, supporting people with concussion and mental health issues, and promoting inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.

“Athletes are at the heart of Canada’s sport system,” said Minister Qualtrough. “Through the Ministerial Athlete Advisory Committee, we engage directly with athletes on sport policy and program development to ensure their perspectives are reflected across the sport system. I want to thank everyone who signed on and welcome the athletes who will form this new Advisory Committee. I look forward to working together to address the issues that matter most to Canadian athletes.”