Kirsty Coventry - IOC Member, former Head of the IOC’s Athletes Commission and current Minister of Sport for Zimbabwe - paid a visit to the British Olympic Association (BOA) to share with staff the story of her career and her experience of using her voice to promote positive change within sport.
The former swimmer is Africa’s most decorated Olympian after winning seven medals, including two golds, during a career which saw her compete at five Olympic Games. Now the current Zimbabwean Minister of Youth, Sports, Art and Recreation, she has been a member of both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee since 2013.
Her visit to Team GB took place following the International Relations Seminar, hosted by UK Sport in collaboration with the BOA and the British Paralympic Association, where Kirsty spoke on athlete advocacy and the power of the athlete voice within sporting organisations. She met with BOA Chair Sir Hugh Robertson, Chief Executive Andy Anson, and Director of Olympic Relations Shahab Uddin before taking part in a Q&A session with staff.
Kirsty Coventry said: "Meeting and sharing different perspectives with Team GB and staff was a really wonderful experience. These interactions allow us to build a stronger Olympic Movement as it opens up more opportunities for us to gain a greater understanding and respect of each other."
Sir Hugh Robertson said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host Kirsty Coventry at the BOA as part of her visit to London. We discussed issues including Russia and Belarus, the continued fight against doping and the future of the Olympic movement and we will look forward to continuing these discussions in the months and years ahead.'