He has been the president of the
International Paralympic Committee since 8 September 2017. Parsons took over from Sir
Philip Craven, who had been in office since 2001, after being elected in the first round in the election held during the 18th assembly of the IPC in Abu Dhabi. He was reelected in 2025. Parsons himself does not have a
disability, a fact that, he says, takes some observers by surprise. Parsons has proposed the establishment of a "Youth Paralympic Games", akin to the
Youth Olympic Games, but the proposal has been shelved indefinitely. While attending the
opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Parsons declared his horror at the
Russian invasion of Ukraine and called on world authorities to promote peace. While addressing the spectators and athletes in attendance at Beijing, in China's
Bird Nest, Parsons stated that "Tonight, I want, I must begin with a message of peace" and that "As the leader of an organization with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now." In addition, IPC president Parsons stated that injured Russian soldiers would be allowed to compete at a future Paralympic Games, saying that "the democracy of our movement" must be respected. ==Distinctions==