IPC confirm final list of speakers for VISTA conference

The IPC have confirmed the programme and list of speakers for this year's VISTA conference in Girona ©AFP/Getty Images

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed the final list of speakers and the programme for the 2015 VISTA conference, due to take to place in Girona, Spain, from October 7 to 10.

The event is expected to attract around 200 experts and sport specialists from across the world, and during each day there will be one main speaker as well as other oral presentations and poster sessions.

The Opening Ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 7 and the first keynote speaker will be International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission Games Group member Margo Mountjoy of Canada, an International Swimming Federation (FINA) Executive Board member.

Mountjoy will speak on the topic of “Youth Athlete Development: Recommendations from the IOC” on October 8.

Professor Jennifer Mactavish, winner of the 2015 IPC Scientific Award, headlines the following day of the conference, and her talk will be based largely on the classification of athletes with intellectual impairments.

She was given the prestigious IPC award for her work in helping integrate athletes with intellectual impairments back into the Paralympic Games and her talk is set to be one of the highlights of the event, which carries a theme of securing the future of young Para-athletes.

FINA Executive Board member Margo Mountjoy is one of the keynote speakers at this year's VISTA conference ©Getty Images

The final keynote speaker of the conference will be David Sanz Rivas, scientific director of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), whose speech will cover “career pathways in wheelchair tennis: from grassroots to elite performance”.

The event is likely to be one of the focal points of the Paralympic calendar and IPC Medical and Scientific Director Peter Van de Vliet believes this year’s conference in Girona can be one of the best.

“We are delighted to announce the VISTA 2015 programme five months out from the event,” he said.

"This is the first time in a number of years we have held the event outside of Bonn, and to cover this year's theme of "securing the future of young para-athletes" we have assembled a stellar list of speakers, invited symposia and other speakers.

“Over 100 abstracts were received and I would like to thank all abstract submitters for their excellent input.

"Each edition this conference goes from strength-to-strength and I am confident that the combination of Girona and a great line-up of speakers will ensure this is the best yet."

Organisers are offering a €300 (£220/$326) early-bird discount on tickets for the VISTA 2015 conference, which is available until June 15.

Registration for VISTA 2015 is now open by clicking here.