The British Paralympic Association (BPA) announced a number of new staff members earlier this week as it aims to build on the performance success of Rio 2016.

Nik Diaper is the new Head of Performance, replacing Georgina Sharples who left the organisation earlier this year to work for the EIS as Head of Performance Support for the Equestrian GBR World Class Programme.

Diaper will report directly to Director of Sport and Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe and will lead the BPA’s consideration of all aspects of preparation and Games time athlete performance support across the next Winter and Summer Games.

He joins the BPA from the English Institute of Sport, where he has worked for the past 13 years, most recently as Head of Sport Science and Medicine for Paralympic sport. He has attended five Paralympic Games, forming a key part of the ParalympicsGB science and medicine team at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and in particular Rio 2016, where he ran the in-village Performance centre. He will be Deputy Chef de Mission (Performance) for ParalympicsGB at Pyeongchang 2018.

Also joining the BPA on 20 June is Paul Cox, who will be the new Head of Communications following the departure of Tash Carpenter to Premiership Rugby after nine years at the BPA. Paul has previously worked at the BBC before joining UK Sport as Head of Communications for five years.

Paralympic gold medallist and swimming legend Susie Rodgers has been appointed as the new Communications Officer to focus on public affairs. She starts in July and her appointment means there are now three former Paralympians now working for the BPA core team.

Picture courtesy of the British Paralympic Association, with thanks.