An Open Letter to the BBC
15 December 2019:
Dear BBC Sport,
We have noted that no Paralympic athletes have being nominated for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. Accordingly, we have learnt that most of the British Paralympic sporting community were disappointed with the lack of recognition within the main award.
In recent times, the BBC has been one of the preeminent leaders in promoting Paralympic sport and providing a platform to British Paralympic athletes by having its own designated Disability Sport Page and Features on its website. We are grateful for the work the BBC does to promote disability sport and we appreciate that Paralympic athletes have been nominated within the main award in the past. However, Paralympic sport is not just a four-year event, Paralympic sport is embedded within the global sporting landscape on a weekly basis.
Since the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Paralympic athletes have inspired the nation with their remarkable performances being a catalyst for positive social change and challenging outdated perceptions. It has since enabled the athletes to become true role models that the nation can relate to and aspire to be. The legacy of London 2012 has become the benchmark of all future Paralympic Games. So much so, that the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games demands have exceeded ticket availability, a truly unprecedented fate.
We believe that the BBC has missed a real opportunity, with the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games being only 8 months away, to continue this momentum and celebrate the extraordinary performances by British Paralympic athletes this year. With Paralympic sport having come so far, this is not the time to take a step backwards. The athletes and Paralympic Sport deserve to be celebrated and championed on one of the biggest nights in British sport. We simply want to continue to grow the Paralympic movement and continue to promote Paralympic superstars – nothing more, nothing less.
We hope we can work together with British Paralympians to find a solution that gives these athletes the maximum recognition they deserve to not only build momentum for the Paralympic Movement but give these athletes the greatest platform to keep inspiring the nation. This is something that surely we all want to see continue.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss a way forward and we hope we can constructively work together.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rob Koehler,
Director General
On behalf of the Global Athlete Start-Up Group
Akwasi Frimpong - Olympic Bobsliegh and Skelton Athlete - Ghana
Noah Hoffman - Olympic Cross-Country Skier - United States of America
Ali Jawad - Olympic Para Powerlifter - United Kingdom
Caradh O’Donovan - World Champion Kick Boxer and Karate - Ireland
Callum Skinner - Olympic Cyclist - United Kingdom
Rachael Sporn - Olympic Basketball - Australia