What we do: Meet the UIPM Athletes Committee 2025-2028

It goes without saying that there can be no sport without athletes. Increasingly in modern sport there is no such thing as sport governance without the athlete voice.

The UIPM Athletes Committee represents the interests of the athletes. It has the right to represent the athletes’ position to the General Assembly, the Executive Board and the Committees, in particular to the Technical and the Medical Committees.

With Modern Pentathlon continuing its evolution with the introduction of Obstacle and a new Fencing format at the outset of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, a regular two-way exchange of information and views through the interface of the AC is vital.

With one representative continuing from the previous cycle, Sophia Hernandez of Guatemala, and three-time Pentathlon World Cup Final winner Valentin Prades of France adding his extensive experience, five members of the new-look panel gathered in Nice (FRA) for their first in-person meeting earlier this year.

Sam Curry, UIPM Athletes Committee Chair, said: “It was a real privilege to come together in Nice and officially begin our work as the new UIPM Athletes Committee. From the outset, there was a strong sense of shared purpose and momentum.

“We are a truly global group — with Alida bringing insight from South Africa, Danilo representing South America and Gen offering a fresh voice from Oceania. Add to that Ilia’s deep regional knowledge from Asia, and the Olympic experience of both Valentin in France and Sophie from Guatemala, and we have a unique blend of perspectives, experiences and energy.

“Our mission is to place athletes at the heart of every conversation. In our first meeting, we identified key priorities — improving athlete welfare, ensuring transparent communication, protecting the integrity of competition and celebrating the diverse athlete community across all levels.

“There was clear consensus: this Committee isn’t here to tick boxes. We are here to listen, to represent, and to help shape a Modern Pentathlon that reflects the needs and values of its athletes.

“Since that first meeting, we’ve ensured athlete representation at every World Cup from March to May, while also beginning structured data-gathering to better understand the lived experience of athletes across the world. In June, I’ll be attending the International Athletes’ Forum — learning from other global sports bodies and sharing our approach to embedding athlete voice into governance.

“I'm proud of the group we’ve formed and confident that together we can create lasting impact.”

Left to right: Maxime Papillon (Coordinator); UIPM Athletes Committee Members Ilia Miagkikh (Kazakhstan), Genevieve Janse van Rensburg (Australia), Sam Curry (Great Britain, Chair); Alida van der Merwe (South Africa), Danilo Fagundes (Brazil).