OTTAWA – The Canadian Paralympic Committee has welcomed two esteemed athlete leaders to its Board of Directors, with Paralympians Cindy Ouellet and Michelle Stilwell becoming members. Ouellet and Stilwell have been appointed as directors on the Board, and will serve terms until the end of the current Board period in 2025.
“Cindy and Michelle are both such accomplished individuals both inside and outside of sport, and their insight, leadership, and expertise are an incredible addition to the Board,” said Marc-André Fabien, president, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “Athletes are at the centre of the Paralympic Movement, and it is so important to have the experiences of our athletes and of people with a disability reflected on our Board. Both Cindy and Michelle will make a significant difference to the overall leadership of our organization. We are thrilled to welcome them both to the Board, and look forward to working with them as we look to take the next steps in growing the Paralympic Movement across Canada.”
Ouellet is one of few athletes to have competed at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games. A veteran member of Canada’s national women’s wheelchair basketball team, she has competed for Canada at the 2020, 2016, 2012, and 2008 Paralympic Games. In 2018, she made her Paralympic Winter Games debut racing as part of Canada’s Para nordic skiing team. Off the field of play, she is completing her PhD in biomedical engineering and is an advocate for many causes including mental health and LGBTQ2S+ rights.
“I feel extremely privileged to have been asked to join the CPC Board,” said Ouellet. “CPC has been a great supporter of mine for so many years, and I am really looking forward to contributing in this official leadership capacity. I know the incredible benefits of sport and am excited to help make our adaptive sport community better and grow the Paralympic Movement in Canada.”
Stilwell holds gold medals in two different sports – first competing and winning for Canada in wheelchair basketball at Sydney 2000 before switching to wheelchair racing, in which she captured six medals including five gold across three Paralympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016). In addition to her role as a leader in sport, she served as a member of British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly as the elected representative for Parksville-Qualicum from 2013 to 2020 and was Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation from 2015 to 2017.
“I am so excited about joining the CPC Board of Directors and working with the many other passionate and skilled members of the Board,” said Stilwell. “The Paralympic Movement has advanced so much over the past 20 years, but there is still so much more we can do to increase its exposure and visibility, increase inclusivity and equity within the sport system, and get more people involved in Para sport. There is a bright future ahead, and I’m excited to play my part by bringing my multitude of experiences and perspective as a female athlete leader to the table.”
The 2021-25 CPC Board of Directors was elected in March 2021, and a few remaining positions were kept open for appointments such as for Ouellet and Stilwell. The next Board meeting is this weekend, June 10-12 in Montreal.
