Collage of athletes participating in various sports: a woman stretching on the ground, a woman crouching with a prosthetic leg holding a water bottle, a man in a racing wheelchair on a track, a girl with a prosthetic leg running indoors, a person jumping on a track, a person playing volleyball at the net, and a girl sitting on the floor in a seated conversation.

CTN 2025 Sport Summit

LEVELLING THE FIELD: The Para Sports Narrative

May 22, 2025

Event Time: 4:30 - 9:00pm

📍 Lausanne | UNIL Campus | Synathlon

About This Summit:

This event brought together personal and research-based stories that looked to the future of para sport.

Together, we explored:

  • Athletes' personal journeys, the role of their teams, and existing commercial opportunities

  • The role of organisations in strengthening para sport through grassroots initiatives

  • How changing the narrative on para sport, leveraging technology, and attracting investment can drive growth and long-term financial sustainability

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Sofia Gonzalez

Keynote Speaker

Swiss Paralympic Athlete

“My difference is my attitude.” 

Sofia Gonzalez is a Swiss Paralympic athlete specialising in the 100m sprint and long jump. She is a European bronze medallist in the 100m and competed in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

After attending the London 2012 Paralympics, Sofia was inspired to pursue sports. In 2016, she discovered running prosthetics, known as “bladerunners,” and began training in athletics.

In 2019, she set a personal best in the 100m at the World Championships in Dubai, finishing fifth, and was honored with the Allianz Newcomer of the Year Award at the Swiss Paralympic Night. Two years later, in 2021, she won a bronze medal in the 100m at the European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, securing two Paralympic diplomas with a 7th place finish in the 100m and 8th in the long jump.

Watch here

PANEL 1

Inspiring Communities:
Driving Participation Through Local Initiatives

Panelists:

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Mariona Masdemont Morente

Co-founder of Asociación
Play and Train

A woman with dark hair, glasses, and a navy blue shirt sitting at a desk, smiling and looking at someone off-camera, with a laptop in front of her.

Anne-Flore Angot

Development Coordinator, European Athletics

A man in a white and red Swiss Open Geneva shirt is holding a microphone while standing in front of a conference room, speaking to an audience.

Sebastian Mozer

President, Swiss Open Wheelchair Tennis

Competence Center - Canton of Geneva, Swiss Inclusive Sport

This explored:

  • Grassroots initiatives to boost participation in para sport:
    Tactics and strategies for delivering successful para sport initiatives to grow participation.

  • Successes and challenges from grassroots initiatives:
    Actionable strategies to overcome hurdles and foster continued progress in the para sport community.

  • How community builds athletes: The importance of community to create supportive environments, both socially and emotionally to help athletes unlock their potential.

PANEL 2

Game Changers:
Innovations & Trends in Para sports

Panelists:

A man sitting on wooden steps, smiling, wearing a beige blazer, white shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes.

Eric Kersten

Founder, Team TOC & European Para Championships

A woman in a black athletic outfit standing outdoors next to a chain-link fence, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

Sofia Gonzalez, PLY

Swiss Paralympic Athlete, 100m Sprint and Long Jump

A man with glasses, a beard, and a dark blazer speaking into a microphone at a professional event or conference.

Todd Fraser

Para cycling Manager, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

A smiling woman with long blonde hair wearing a black top, standing outdoors with blurred background.

Annegret Kern

Co-head, Cybathlon

This explored:

  • Changing the narrative on visibility: Examine what narratives we should be sharing on athletes to boost para sports. Strategies for digital engagement in para sports.

  • How can technology play a role in para sports: Explore emerging technology and their impact on para sports. Understand how para sports can help lead to inclusive technologies.

  • Attracting new investments: Discuss the marketing strategies that can be utilised to engage new sponsors into para sports. What do the projections of inclusive sports look like, and how can we leverage commercial opportunities to build long-term financial sustainability.

MODERATOR

A woman with short brown hair smiling while sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white shirt and dark jeans.

Marina Logacheva

Disability Sports Lead, MATTA | Co-Founder, FAST | Marketing Director, Regain Sports Charity

Marina is a world-class handcyclist, a powerhouse in marketing and a driving force for equity in sport. After a spinal cord injury, Marina rebuilt her life through handcycling and advocacy, becoming the only UK athlete in her category to compete internationally. Today, she leads with purpose- championing disability inclusion in sport and business at MATTA and running her adaptive clothing brand FAST.

Official Community Parnter:

Black t-shirt with white silhouette of a person playing tennis and the text 'Play&Train' underneath.

For the 2025 Summit, CTN partnered with Play and Train, a non-profit social entity declared of public utility. Since 2008 has been promoting access to sport for people, regardless of their ability, gender and age, with recreational and competitive activities. Play & Train believes in sport as a tool for social inclusion using play, fun and effort.

2025 SUMMIT ORGANISING COMMITTEE

For this event, we engaged Sports Master’s students from AISTS to take the lead on event organisation, providing them with a platform to explore topics that resonate with them, and expose them to the CTN network. Our objective is to ensure that everyone can have the opportunity to actively participate in Changing the Narrative in sport, making our collective impact lasting.  

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  • Marketing Team

    Arshia started playing football as part of an all women community in India at the age 29, only to be surrounded by other likeminded adults who were discovering sport for the first time. She went on to compete in amateur state leagues and discovered how football helped bring out her true personality. Now, a licensed grassroots football coach, combined with over 12 years experience as a brand marketing & content specialist in the global retail industry, she decided to pursue a Masters in Sport Management in Switzerland, hoping to use sport as a tool for personal leadership development for women.

A woman with shoulder-length wavy light brown hair, wearing a sleeveless black top, smiling at the camera against a light gray background.

  • Marketing Team


    With over ten years experience coaching elite Olympic and NCAA swimmers, Anna has vast experience in leadership, team building and management, athlete development, and events management. She has a passion for using her coaching experience to champion and promote the voices of athletes, coaches, and entourage at all levels of sport.

A young woman with curly brown hair, wearing a black blazer over a white top, smiling at the camera against a plain gray background.

  • Operations Team

    Madeline performed at a world-class level in diving for fifteen years, mastering resilience and adaptability. Her expertise and passion for elite and international events were further enhanced during her role as Workforce Coordinator at the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee. Her understanding of the networks surrounding athletes and performance, combined with her dedication to people management, has fueled her commitment to her community. Driven by a desire to transform the realm of sport, she has joined efforts to "change the narrative" and create a meaningful global and local impact.

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  • Sponsorship Team

    Cricket became a part of Meet’s life at the age of 3, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of sports and competition. Over the years, this passion evolved into a professional journey spanning finance, strategy, and business development. Now pursuing a Master’s in Sports and Technology Management at AISTS, Lausanne, Meet has gained expertise in driving growth, optimizing strategies, and fostering innovation. With a deep understanding of the transformative power of sports, Meet is committed to creating sustainable impact in every endeavor.

A woman with curly brown hair and light skin, smiling, wearing a black blazer with a pin, a light pink blouse, and layered necklaces, standing against a plain gray background.

  • Sponsorship Team

    Miriam has a background in gymnastics, competing until the age of 18 before transitioning to roles as coach and judge in acrobatic gymnastics. She holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Economics and Management and is currently enrolled in the AISTS MAS in Sport Management and Technology. Miriam is particularly interested in sport sustainability and legacy, combining her practical experience with an academic foundation to explore these areas.

A man with short dark hair wearing a dark pinstripe suit jacket over a white shirt, smiling against a plain gray background.

  • Project Team

    Sahil Bishnoi is a seasoned sports operations professional with over six years of experience managing high-profile events across diverse disciplines. His journey began in India, where he played key roles in operations for major teams and events, including the Jaipur Pink Panthers and MotoGP Grand Prix of India. Currently pursuing a MAS in Sport Management and Technology at AISTS in Switzerland, Sahil combines academic rigor with hands-on expertise. His passion lies in delivering seamless event experiences, emphasizing operational excellence and inclusivity, as seen in his work with CTN Sport to inspire positive change in the sports industry.

A woman with long, wavy brown hair, wearing a black blazer and a white top, smiling with arms crossed against a plain gray background.

  • Operation Team

    Yvonne has 7 years of product management experience at Microsoft, Google, and sports federations, specializing in AI-driven innovation, mobile/web platforms, and scalable cloud solutions, supported by cross-cultural leadership across North America and APAC Region. Launched two AI-powered tennis apps to thousands users.

OUR PARTNERS

CTN is a not-for-profit association, and our aim is to ensure all our events are accessible by keeping entry prices low. This would not be possible without our partners, so we wish to thank them for their ongoing support in making Changing the Narrative in Sport possible.

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The word "MATTA" in stylised white font with sharp edges and a slightly italicised design.

CTN EDUCATION PARTNER

AISTS is the official CTN Education Partner for our Summits hosted in Switzerland. The mission of the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS) is to bring a positive contribution to the management of sport through post-graduate and executive education, as well as applied research, consulting and services by developing, integrating and delivering multidisciplinary knowledge from human sciences, life sciences and engineering sciences.

CTN SUMMIT PARTNER

MATTA is the creative agency for sport and lifestyle brands: multi award-winning, independent, and founded in 2015 with a belief in the power of sport to drive positive change.

They build brands, create campaigns and content, develop and activate partnerships - engaging audiences through big ideas and creative execution. From global governing bodies to grassroots clubs and sponsors, MATTA helps organisations cut through the noise, deliver impact, and champion athletes at every level.

Play&Train logo with water droplet icon on black background.
Logo for Distributors of Alumni with stylized design featuring text and graphic elements in black and white.

OFFICIAL CHARITY PARTNER

Play and Train is a non-profit social entity declared of public utility. Since 2008 it has been promoting access to sport for people, regardless of their ability, gender and age, with recreational and competitive activities. We believe in sport as a tool for social inclusion using play, fun and effort. We apply what sport teaches us in our daily lives.

CTN SUMMIT PARTNER

The objectives of the AISTS Alumni Association is to serve the alumni group by facilitating interaction between its members and strengthening the network by offering various services to its members.

Through the partnership with the AISTS Alumni Committee, we were able to offer the alumni discounted tickets to attend the event.

  • Four women participating in a panel discussion, one woman in the middle holding a microphone and speaking while others listen, sitting on a modern pink chair and sofa with large green plants in the background.
  • Two men standing in front of a wall displaying photographs and biographies of athletes and notable individuals at an exhibition or event.
  • A woman in black blazer giving a lecture or presentation in front of an audience in a classroom or conference room, with a laptop and a potted plant on the desk.
  • Group of six smiling people posing for a photo in front of a wall with posters of diverse women with their names and descriptions, at an indoor event or conference.
  • A man in a gray blazer speaking into a microphone during a panel discussion, sitting next to a woman in a colorful striped top, in a modern indoor setting.
  • A diverse group of people seated in an auditorium, clapping and paying attention during an event.
  • Three women standing in front of a gray wall with large windows, one is speaking into a microphone while the others listen and smile, in an indoor room with potted plants.
2024 Summit Photos