Paralympian wheelchair basketball player Clare Griffiths has been appointed to the Board of the British Elite Athletes Association.
Joining as an Athlete Board Member, Clare brings with her a wealth of experience both on and off the court. She becomes the fifth current or retired elite athlete on the Board, adding her input alongside Chair Dominic Mahony, CEO Anna Watkins, hockey player Hollie Pearne-Webb and sprinter Asha Philip, in addition to a range of experts from other fields.
Clare made her international debut in 1998 when representing Great Britain at the World Championships. She went on to feature in an incredible five Paralympic Games – including the semi-final run at Rio 2016 – and medal at seven European Championships.
Having retired from international competition in 2016 and then taken a break when her children were born, Clare returned to domestic action with Loughborough Lightning in 2022. More recently she became a member of the British Wheelchair Basketball Board, and holds careers in management consultancy, motivational speaking, coaching and commentary.
After attending her first Board meeting, Clare said: “The BEAA’s development to what it is now is very impressive. My knowledge of what works and doesn’t work as an athlete and partly representing Paralympic sport within the BEAA means I can bring another view and hopefully have a positive impact for athletes who are chasing their dreams. Things don’t always work out, people face challenges and it can be quite isolating for athletes, but the BEAA is a great support mechanism.”
BEAA Chair Dominic Mahony added: “Clare is one of Britain’s most experienced Paralympians and I’m delighted we’re able to call upon her knowledge and expertise to further develop the BEAA. We were founded by athletes, for athletes, and remain led by our members today. Clare adds another athlete voice to our work, complementing our existing Athlete Board Members, Athlete Advisory Forum, Athlete Representatives and, of course, staff.”
