Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012 will open the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) annual conference this year at Keele University.

BUCS Conference is the annual gathering for university staff and elected officers who manage sport and physical activity opportunities across 150 higher education institutions in the UK. Taking place from Tuesday 13 – Friday 16 July, the conference will tackle the subject of University Challenge: Delivering more for less, looking at how universities can offer a full and diverse sporting programme to their students, staff and communities in a tough economic climate.

As the opening guest speaker, Holmes will bring his experience of competing as a student at the University of Cambridge all the way through to representing Great Britain at the Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney Paralympic Games where he won nine gold medals.

 

Holmes said: “I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s BUCS Conference. Higher education sport has a vital role to play in encouraging people of all abilities to participate as well as nurturing the nation’s elite sports men and women of the future. On a personal level, I know how important it is to get the right relationship between higher education and sport because I was studying at university when I won six gold medals at Barcelona 1992. Although moving higher education sport forward is all the more challenging in a difficult economic climate, the opportunity remains. I hope the events and discussions on delivering more for less will enable and inspire many more student athletes to fulfil their undoubted potential in the build up to London 2012 and beyond.”

Conference places are available to book at www.bucs.org.uk/conference. Holmes will be speaking on Tuesday 13 July at 14.30.