A Leader By Nature, Brad Snyder Now Strives to Create Impact On The IPC Governing Board

Brad Snyder has spent his life leading from the front, as a U.S. Navy officer, a Paralympic champion and a trusted voice within Team USA and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 

Now, the three-time Paralympian and six-time gold medalist in both swimming and paratriathlon wants to bring his unique experience and skillset to the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board as a member-at-large. In September, he’ll stand for election seeking to carry forward the U.S. legacy on the 10-member board following two terms of service from Paralympian Muffy Davis. The board is charged with implementing the policies and directions set by the IPC Membership, approving budgets and guiding the rules and regulations that define the Paralympic Movement worldwide. 

“For me, this is just a linear escalation of my desire to be a leader within the sports movement,” said Snyder, who in recent years has also served on the USOPC Board of Directors as well as the USOPC Paralympic Advisory Council and USOPC Ethics & Compliance Committee. 

“It started in 2014 when I thought we could do better for Para athletes in how they were overseen and managed. I’ve gone from knowing very little about how the sports world worked in the United States to, five years on the board, feeling like I’ve got a pretty firm grasp on how we do it here. The next stage of leadership development and ability (I can) to bring to the Movement is to lead at the international level.” 

Snyder’s resume is impressive no matter which way you look at it. Growing up a swimmer, he was a talented athlete who held his own Olympic dreams, captaining the swim team at the U.S. Naval Academy and training alongside Olympic hopeful Robert Margalis. 

“I know what it meant to be an 11-year-old kid looking at a magazine with Michael Phelps and saying, ‘I want to do that one day,’” said Snyder. “Then trying really, really hard and having a great college career.” 

Snyder went on to a decorated military career, and after he lost his eyesight in an explosion while serving with the Navy overseas, he carried on as a Para athlete. It was at the London 2012 Paralympic Games where he first understood the transformational power of the Movement, feeling the buzz surrounding the athletes and winning his second gold medal in swimming one year to the day after losing his sight. 

After the Games, he felt his first call to become more involved when he recognized that the Movement in the U.S. was run by well-meaning people who wanted to support the disability community, but they lacked experience in elite athletes and running high-functioning organizations. 

By 2014, Snyder was writing letters to leaders at the USOPC about his “gripes,” and was pleasantly surprised when the organization invited him to its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, created a governance working group and asked him to join. It was an impactful lesson not only in the importance of both listening and being heard, but also in bringing all sides together to work toward a shared solution to challenges. 

“Time and time again I saw examples of how you have to get the stakeholders into a room, and they have to talk to each other and they have to understand the way people look at the same problem from different vantage points,” he said. “(National Governing Bodies) think about problems a little differently than athletes do, and both of those groups don’t see it the way the USOPC does. But you have to hear everyone’s perspective to understand what their piece of the puzzle is and how they are seeing things.” 

Three-time Paralympian Dr. Cheri Blauwet, now the NPC USA president, also serves with Snyder on the Paralympic Advisory Council and previously on the USOPC Board. She described him as “a highly effective and influential leader” who “brings the athlete lens to everything he does.” 

“He has a deep understanding of the Paralympic Movement, the context of global sport and the manner in which athlete leaders can effectively advance Para athlete priorities into the future,” Blauwet said. 

Snyder’s depth and breadth of leadership experience is just one reason why USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said the organization is excited to support his candidacy. 

“In every role — athlete, military officer, educator, and board member — Brad has demonstrated the rare ability to unite stakeholders, navigate complex governance challenges and act decisively in moments that matter,” she said. “As the global Paralympic Movement prepares for a pivotal decade, including the Games in Los Angeles 2028 and Salt Lake City–Utah 2034, Brad is uniquely positioned to help the IPC seize this historic opportunity for visibility, growth and global impact.” 

Snyder laid out five priorities in his official candidate statement, including trust in the classification system that determines whether or not Para athletes qualify to compete and, if so, the category in which they compete; driving participation and expanding global access; strengthening governance; advancing equity and inclusion; and redefining success to include holistic well-being and offering greater support to athletes outside of the competitive field. 

Of those, one of Snyder’s top priorities is ensuring that the Para classification system is trusted, consistent and transparent. 

“I wrote it as ‘protecting the prestige of the podium,’” he said. “If we’re singing the national anthem and celebrating the achievement of an athlete, but in the minds of half the crowd that athlete shouldn’t be up there in the first place, then we’ve lost the power of the Movement.” 

Snyder’s candidacy comes at a time when the United States is preparing to host the world several times over. With the Olympic and Paralympic Games returning to Los Angeles in 2028, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games coming to Salt Lake City in 2034, as well as the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and major test events leading up to the Summer and Winter Games, the time is ripe to capitalize on the resources and magic of the U.S. market, Snyder said. 

“And I know in the international domain there’s going to be a lot of eye rolling with a statement like that, like, ‘Of course an American is going to say that,’ but one way or another this is the greatest commercial market in the world, and we need to capitalize on that,” he said. “When I’m advocating for American interests it’s not solely for the advancements of our interests. It’s because we can all benefit by being smart about the advancement opportunities in the commercial market in the U.S. for the benefit of the group.” 

Snyder’s path through sport in general and the Paralympics specifically has brought him not just rehabilitation, but also purpose, identity and joy, he said. He hopes to continue his legacy of service to the U.S., sport and the Paralympic Movement as a member of the IPC Governing Board. 

“At the end of the day, I feel very honored and duty-bound to represent the United States and the Paralympic athletes of the world to the greatest of my ability.” 

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to USOPC.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.