Dr. Debra Alexander elected APSO President at General Assembly in Seoul
Seoul, 23 September 2025 — The Association of Paralympic Sport Organisations (APSO) held its General Assembly in Seoul, where members reviewed reports and finances, endorsed the APSO Strategy 2025–2032, and elected new leadership.
In the presidential election, Dr. Debra Alexander (South Africa) won with 10 votes to 5 against Richard Allcroft (United Kingdom).
Dr. Alexander is Vice President of World Triathlon, a clinical psychologist, and an executive coach with a long-standing track record in sport governance and athlete welfare. She currently serves on the Governing Board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), where she is seeking re-election, and has contributed significantly to safeguarding, governance, and classification initiatives across the Paralympic Movement.
The Assembly also confirmed the Executive Board for the 2025–2029 term:
- Charmaine Hooper (World Abilitysport) — re-elected for a second term
- Stephen Loader (World Wheelchair Rugby) — re-elected for a second term
- Richard Perot (Badminton World Federation) — elected
- Jiri Snitil (World Curling) — elected.
Following her election, Dr. Alexander said:
“APSO has a real opportunity to grow its influence and strengthen its voice across the Paralympic Movement. My focus is to unite our members behind a stronger common voice, support each federation with the tailored help it needs to grow, and build partnerships that extend our impact. We will turn ambition into practical delivery and make sure APSO is ready for a changing world. With collaboration at the centre of everything we do, I’m confident we can strengthen APSO for the benefit of every federation, every organisation and every athlete we serve.”
“I want to sincerely thank the outgoing Executive Board members for the solid foundation they have laid. Their commitment and guidance have strengthened APSO and prepared it for the next stage of growth, and we will continue to build on the progress they achieved.”