Olympic bronze medallist Bridgitte Hartley of South Africa has been added as a member of the International World Games Association (IWGA) Athletes’ Committee.
In line with the IWGA Constitution, two additional members have been appointed by IWGA President Jose Perurena to the Athletes’ Committee 2025-2029.
The IWGA said the appointments have been made to ensure balanced representation in terms of sport and geographical diversity.
Hartley, who made history at London 2012 when she became the first African paddler to win an Olympic medal, has been selected along with Costa Rican racquetball player Andres Acuna.
The multiple world medallist is a key figure in the world of paddle sports, both as an athlete and as a representative of her peers, currently serving as Chair of the ICF Athletes’ Committee and a member of the ICF Board of Directors.
At the ICF, the 42-year-old has helped shape discussions on athlete welfare, representation, and equity, ensuring the voice of athletes is included at every level in canoeing, and with the IWGA Athletes’ Committee, she intends to raise that to a whole new level.
“I am very excited to represent all the athletes in IWGA Athletes’ Committee,” said Hartley.
“I have a passion for my sport and competed for many years.
“It’s a privilege to be elected at this level especially as we have had three disciplines in Canoe Marathon, Dragon Boat and Canoe Polo at the most recent World Games in Chengdu.
“I would like to help athletes create more of a network to share stories of our experiences and we achieved the results we did.
“I believe we can all learn so much from each other, we all look up to someone from our sport code or another as a role model to help us dream and achieve special things.”
The seven other members of the Committee were elected by their peers during The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China, from August 3 to 16, when accredited athletes from across the Games cast their votes online to select their representatives.
These athletes along with Hartley and Acuna were chosen from a pool of 20 candidates representing a wide range of sports and countries, all nominated by their respective International Federations.
Now that the final composition of the Athletes Committee is confirmed, the first meeting of the new Committee will be convened.
At this meeting, members will elect their Chair, who will also serve on the IWGA Executive Committee for the full 2025–2029 term. The date of this meeting will be announced shortly.
Mr Perurena, IWGA President and Chair of the Electoral Committee, said: “The Athletes Committee is the voice of our athletes within the IWGA.
“With the addition of Mrs Hartley and Mr Acuña, we now have a truly representative body that reflects the diversity of The World Games Family.
“Their perspectives will help ensure that athletes from all continents and diverse sports have a strong voice in shaping the future of our movement.”
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