In anticipation of the 2024 Paralympics Games in Paris this summer and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, join the Pacific Council for an enlightening Sports Diplomacy webinar as we discuss the rich history of the Paralympic Games and the athletes who have left an indelible mark on the movement. From its early beginnings in rehabilitation medicine to evolving into the third largest elite professional sporting event in the world, the Paralympic Games have transcended barriers, shattered stereotypes, and created countless opportunities for the athletes and Disabled individuals worldwide. Throughout the program, we will not only explore the rich history of the Paralympic movement but also shed light on what it means for the athletes, the essence of truth about inclusion, and the cities preparing to host them.

We are honored to feature two distinguished speakers who will offer their unique perspectives and first hand experiences in the evolution of the Paralympic Games—David Clarke OBE, CEO of the British Paralympic Association, a revered figure in the world of soccer with a successful career in banking and third sector, and Candace Cable, a historian, teacher, writer, human rights advocate for collective liberation and US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame Paralympian.

The webinar will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, providing attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with our esteemed speakers.

Guest Speaker

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David Clarke OBE, CEO of the British Paralympic Association

David Clarke is aged 53 and hails from Wigan in North West England. As a family man living with his wife and two children at their home in Hertfordshire, David already has a very full and rewarding life. However, it doesn’t stop there. Based on a sound academic footing, David developed a highly successful career in the banking sector spanning 24 years and an International Football career which has seen him represent Great Britain and England’s blind football team 144 times scoring a total of 128 goals. During 2018, David took a conscious decision to play an active role in the third sector following on from several non-executive positions held. In July 2018, he joined the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) as Director of Services where he was keenly focused on ensuring visually impaired people have access to the information, advice, and guidance they need—alongside providing consumer and Commercial services which seek to remove barriers to inclusion. David was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in February 2022. In March 2023, David was appointed as the first disabled CEO of the British Paralympic Association, a role that brings together his sporting, commercial, and third sector skill set into what he describes as a truly dream role. He is now keenly focused on leading best prepared teams into the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and driving forward the social impact ambition of the organization to create a better world for disabled people through sport.

Guest Speaker

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Candace Cable, US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame Paralympian.

Candace Cable was born in Southern California and experienced a spinal cord injury at the age of 21. Following her spinal cord injury rehabilitation, Candace rolled into a Disabled community that supported her and a successful 27-year professional athletic career as a nine-time Paralympic athlete, in three sports and winning 12 medals. She has many “firsts” in her athletic career and two are becoming the first American woman to win medals in both Winter and Summer Paralympic Games in the same year (1992) and the first American woman Disabled or Non-Disabled to earn an Over-All World Cup Cross-Country Skiing champion title in 2004. She is a 32-time National Champion in Cross Country Skiing. 

Candace helped pioneer the equipment and sport of wheelchair racing and her athletic career in this sport is legendary. She is the winner of 84 Marathons (26.2 miles) including six Boston and four Los Angeles Marathon women’s wheelchair division titles. She is a 55-time National Track Champion and competed in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympic Games exhibition women’s 800 meters track event for wheelchair racers. Candace is a 2019 United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Hall of Fame Inductee. 

Candace has 40+ years in developing advocacy and activism to improve her life as a Disabled person and create opportunities for people to choose from. Her collaborative work with colleagues to successfully integrate wheelchair racing into running races during the 1980’s led to equitable opportunities and prize purses for the current Wheelchair Road Racing divisions. This also led her to develop her Understanding Disability inclusive education curriculum, her sport diplomacy outreach and policy governance work. 

She advocates globally and supports policy that promotes civil and human rights for all people. Candace regularly attends the United Nations annual Conference of the States Parties (COSP) for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) which is the most comprehensive human rights document ever written because it includes everyone. Candace believes that learning directly from the people impacted is the first priority and then we must commit to supporting everyone in their liberation and self-determination so that no one is left behind.  

Her work and writing include collaborations with Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Open Doors Organization, UNICEF, U.S. State Department, Drunk History, Ready, Set, Gold, The Foundation for Global Sports Development, LA28 Bid and many Community programs and start-ups. Candace is President of US International Council on Disabilities, a board member of Southern California Olympians and Paralympians Association, and a Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Disability Commission. Candace volunteers her time locally in her home Los Angeles and worldwide.