How the positive impact of sporting events can be felt long after they've ended
With legacy planning, sporting events have the potential to bring people together and boost their mental and physical health long after they've ended.
A successful former professional Paralympic swimmer who competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning six medals across both Games including gold in the 50m Butterfly in Rio 2016 and five bronze medals. Susie won 30 international medals throughout her career, 17 of them gold. Susie is an expert adviser for global clients on disability inclusion and gender equality. She currently works for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a technical adviser on disability inclusion and leads globally on disability inclusive climate action on behalf of the UK Government. She is an expert panel member of the Global Disability Advisory Panel at the British Council, advising on inclusive sport and soft power. She is an experienced and qualified non-executive director and recently joined the board of the only global organisation focusing on the intersection between gender and disability rights; Women Enabled International. She is a former chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Panel at Spirit of 2012, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy charity. She is an ocean ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society and recently created a series of paintings of marine life which have been sold to raise funding for UK marine conservation efforts. She previously chaired a sub-committee for an organization leading high profile cases and successful pro bono legal investigations into athlete welfare and safeguarding in the UK elite sport system. She was awarded an MBE (2017) for services to Paralympic sport by Her Majesty the Queen. Susie is a sought-after public speaker, podcast guest and has hosted and spoken on panels at events including at Davos, for academic and education institutions, INGOs and DE&I conferences in the public and private sectors.
With legacy planning, sporting events have the potential to bring people together and boost their mental and physical health long after they've ended.
COVID-19 has been devastating for disabled people who face cancelled operations or are shielding alone, writes Paralympic champion Susannah Rodgers.
Susie Rodgers grew up hiding her disability from the world. But that all changed when she put herself on the path to a gold medal as a Paralympic swimmer.