Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Habsburg-Este, has accepted the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) invitation to become a member of the IPC Honorary Board.
Sir Philip Craven, president of the IPC, met with HRH Princess Astrid in Brussels to discuss various issues regarding adaptive sports, and during this meeting, she accepted Craven’s invitation.
The IPC, as the global governing body of the Paralympic movement, decided in 2003 to create an Honorary Board to allow leaders of society an opportunity to support the Paralympic vision. Honorary Board members assist the IPC in creating opportunities for raising awareness and funding through the member’s network of contacts and sphere of influence.
Princess Astrid will join existing members, including HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, HRH Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, Soprano Maria Guleghina, former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, business woman and lifelong Paralympic sport supporter Thérèse Rein, and Hassan Ali Bin Ali, chairperson of the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs as an ambassador for the Paralympic movement. She will be effectively helping the IPC to disseminate the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality to an ever-expanding audience.
“Courage is one of the qualities I value most in people,” Princess Astrid said. “I found this to be the case when I spoke to athletes with a disability at Paralympic events. Their courage and dedication to sports should be inspiration to all human beings.”
“I am delighted that HRH Princess Astrid will be part of our family and help us to develop the Paralympic movement,” Craven said. “On behalf of the Paralympic Family, I would like to thank her for agreeing to join the Honorary Board and for supporting the IPC’s goal in keeping the issue of Paralympic sport high on the agenda of the global community.”
