By Duncan Mackay

January 28 - Jason Hellwig (pictured) has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), replacing Miles Murphy, who left earlier this month to pursue other business interests.



While Hellwig takes over at a busy time with the Australian team preparing for the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, he has plenty of experience after two decades in sport administration experience at national and international level.

He has worked at the APC since 2003 and was director of the Athens and Beijing Australian Paralympic teams.

Hellwig is also the he chairman of the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Athletics Technical Committee.

He said: "While there are certainly many challenges ahead of us, there is a great deal of opportunity.

"Australia will send its largest ever winter team to the Games aiming to improve on the two medals - one silver and one bronze - won at the previous Paralympic Games in Torino in 2006."

Hellwig called for more investment in Paralympic sport.

He said: "We know that it has never been harder to win a Paralympic medal as a growing number of countries recognise the increasing value of Paralympic sport, and the need to invest in more resources."

Hellwig's appointment was welcomed by APC President Greg Hartung, who said Hellwig was the person best suited to drive the APC’s business operations towards the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver, and the London Games in 2012.

He said: "Since joining the APC, Jason has managed our sport operations to help ensure Australia has maintained a position within the world’s top five nations at Paralympic Summer Games and top 10 at Paralympic Winter Games.

"He has also played a key role in the growth of the APC’s business, particularly in the areas of talent identification and development, team planning and delivery, classification, sport science and sports medicine.

"Jason’s experience and knowledge of International Paralympic sport is vast, and the APC Board is confident he will lead the organisation forward and ensure Australia’s Paralympic Teams continue to succeed against the best in the world."


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