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WADA opens call for interest for the appointment of Athlete Council Group 3 members for 2026-2028

Deadline to apply: Friday 18 July 2025

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking candidates to fill the seven Group 3 member seats of the Agency’s Athlete Council for 2026-2028. The Athlete Council represents, supports, and promotes the voices of athletes on anti-doping matters and is also the avenue for athletes to assume important seats within WADA’s governance bodies. 

The Athlete Council is composed of athlete representatives chosen by athletes and grouped as follows: 

  • Group 1: Five athletes appointed by the Athletes’ Commission and Athletes’ Council (ACs) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC); 
  • Group 2: Eight athletes elected by the ACs of International Federations (IFs); and 
  • Group 3: Seven athletes, selected by an Athlete Council Appointment Panel (“Panel”), to fill skills and diversity gaps . 

The three-year terms of the current Athlete Council Group 3 members will end on 31 December 2025. As such, the Panel, made up of two athletes and an independent member of WADA’s Nominations Committee, will select the members that will form Group 3 for the next three-year term (from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028). 

This public call applies to all seven Group 3 seats. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible to apply, athletes are required to meet eligibility criteria, as outlined in Article 3 of WADA’s Athlete Council Appointment Procedure. These include:  

  • Being an International-Level Athlete as defined by the World Anti-Doping Code (Code); 
  • Being bound by the Code; and 
  • Meeting the two criteria above within the last nine years before taking office for the first time. 

Additional eligibility criteria are as follows: 

  • A candidate who stood on the ballot for election to Group 2 of the Athlete Council, but who was not elected, is eligible to apply. Members of the IOC and IPC ACs are not eligible to apply. 
  • A candidate who has been a past member of WADA’s Athlete Committee or WADA’s Athlete Council (including within Groups 1 and 2) or is a current Group 3 member of WADA’s Athlete Council is eligible to apply if the maximum membership of nine years total has not been reached. 
  • The candidate must have reached the age of 18 by no later than 18 July 2025 (the deadline for applications). 
  • The candidate must not be Provisionally Suspended or serving a period of Ineligibility under the Code. 
  • The candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English. 

Application Process 

Candidates must apply by sending the following by Friday 18 July 2025 (by 23h59 EDT) to WADA (governance@wada-ama.org): 

  • a detailed Curriculum Vitae(1) or biography that fully captures the candidate’s experience, expertise, and qualifications(2); 
  • a motivation letter that identifies how they meet the experience, knowledge, or expertise needs identified by the Panel, as detailed in the ‘Skills and Diversity Criteria’ section below; 
  • confirmation that they meet the Council eligibility criteria; and  
  • confirmation that they have the time and ability to take part in the activities of the Council(3). 

Candidate files will be provided to the Panel, which will lead the recruitment process, conduct interviews, and vet the candidates to decide which candidates will be appointed. 

Any questions should be directed to governance@wada-ama.org. 

WADA thanks all applicants for their interest. 

 

Skills and Diversity Criteria 

The purpose of the appointment process for Group 3 members is to fill skills and diversity gaps not sufficiently provided for by Groups 1 and 2 and thereby ensure that the Athlete Council can represent the athlete community and its diversity as best as possible and conduct its work. 

Following a skills mapping analysis of the current Group 1 and Group 2 members of the Athlete Council, the Panel seeks experience, knowledge, or expertise in the following areas for its Group 3 members for the next terms: 

  • Financial (qualifications and expertise in accounting or financial management); 
  • Human Resources (management of human resources-related issues, such as interviewing or onboarding expertise); 
  • Human Rights (development and management or oversight of human rights management programs); 
  • Legal (application of formal legal qualifications in a legal practice, not-for-profit, government, or corporate setting); 
  • Medical (application of formal medical qualifications as a doctor or in a related discipline (e.g., physiotherapy, podiatry, ophthalmology)); 
  • Nutrition (application of qualifications as a dietician or similar in a formal work setting); 
  • Regulation (development, implementation, or review of systems of rules governing public or professional activities (could include law enforcement)); 
  • Scientific (application of post-secondary education qualifications in a relevant discipline (e.g., biochemistry, psychology) in a formal work setting). 

The Panel will also consider experience, knowledge, or expertise in the following areas: 

  • Anti-Doping (understanding of the World Anti-Doping Program and its implementation); 
  • Athlete Committee (prior experience on an athlete representative body in a sport, government, anti-doping, corporate, or philanthropic setting); 
  • Athlete Representation (direct experience as an athlete advocate); 
  • Communications (management of communications activities and issues such as public relations and media roles); 
  • Education (application of post-secondary education qualifications in a formal work setting); 
  • Management (general management experience involving oversight of financial, human resources, and operations activities (in all sizes of business and forms of organization, e.g., could include military settings)); 
  • Outreach (stakeholder/client management activities); 
  • Policy Development (definition of programs aimed at solving public problems in a government or not-for-profit setting); 
  • Research (application of post-secondary education qualifications in a relevant discipline to a recognized program of research); 
  • Strategic Planning (process defining the direction of an organization involving a formalized planning process, definition of resource allocation, and control of plan implementation); 
  • WADA Athlete Committee or Council (prior experience on the WADA Athlete Committee or Athlete Council). 

The diversity criteria to be considered by the Panel will include, but will not be limited to, the following: 

  • Age; 
  • Background; 
  • Culture; 
  • Disability; 
  • Ethnicity; 
  • Gender; 
  • Nationality; and 
  • Sport. 

Notes:

(1) For purposes of review, evaluation, and approval, candidates consent to the sharing of their curriculum vitae and candidate file (and personal information contained therein) with the Panel, WADA Nominations Committee, Director General, Executive Committee, and Foundation Board, in accordance with WADA’s Privacy Policy, Governance Regulations and Athlete Council Appointment Procedure. By submitting their application, candidates confirm that they have read and understood the above-mentioned documents and accept their terms.  

(2) If the candidate refers to qualifications/certifications in their application, the year of obtention of any such qualifications/certifications must be included. The candidate must also be able to provide valid evidence of such qualifications/certifications should it be requested by the Panel. 

(3) The Athlete Council meets approximately once per quarter, including two in-person meetings and typically two virtual meetings. Other involvement will depend on the Athlete Council’s activities, its Action Plan, and other WADA initiatives (e.g., Athlete Council seats on Standing Committees, working groups, engagement programs at events, etc.).