United Globally
for Athlete Safety
Paralympic Safeguarding Symposium
March 11, 2026 in Cortina, Italy
The U.S. Center for SafeSport hosted a Symposium, United Globally for Athlete Safety, during the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy. The event brought together leaders in athlete safeguarding for a collaborative, international conversation on best practices and lessons learned.
Welcome and Overview
of the U.S. Center for SafeSport Approach to Safeguarding
Featuring remarks by SafeSport CEO, LA84 Olympian Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, followed by a presentation from subject matter experts at the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
International Safeguarding Panel Discussion
Moderated by SafeSport CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, a panel of Paralympians and Olympians shared their perspectives on safeguarding in sports.
Panelists
Diana Bianchedi, OLY
Chief Strategy, Planning & Legacy Officer
Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026
Deputy Vice President
Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI)
Olympic Gold Medalist, Italy
Diana Bianchedi, OLY
With the Italian foil team, Diana Bianchedi celebrated many successes, winning two Olympic titles (1992 and 2000), and five World titles (1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001). Her performance in Barcelona was dominant, winning all 15 of her matches, including the deciding bout in the final against Germany. She was unable to share in the victory of the Italian women in Atlanta, injuring her Achilles tendon in her first fight in the individual competition.
Bianchedi was able to return in 2000 for her second Olympic gold medal. In addition to her team victories, she has won two individual bronze medals at the World Championships, and the Italian foil title in 1989. After retiring from competition, Bianchedi became vice-president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for five years. She has also served as a consultant to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Martina Caironi, PLY
Legacy Specialist
Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026
Member, International Paralympic Committee Athletes' Council
Paralympic Gold Medalist, Italy
Martina Caironi, PLY
Martina Caironi is a former Italian Paralympic track and field athlete and a member of the Fiamme Gialle Sports Group. At the age of 18, she was involved in a road accident that resulted in the amputation of her left leg through knee disarticulation; she later began her Paralympic sports career, distinguishing herself on the international stage.
A specialist in sprinting and long jump, she represented Italy in four editions of the Paralympic Games — London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 — winning a total of 3 gold medals and 4 silver medals. Throughout her career, she also earned 21 medals at World and European Championships, establishing herself as one of the most decorated athletes in Italian Paralympic athletics. She set world records and numerous best performances in her competition class.
In 2016, she was the flag bearer for the Italian delegation at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. Alongside her competitive career, she held institutional roles as a member of the National Council and the Athletes’ Commission of the Italian Paralympic Committee.
Since 2015, she has been an Ambassador for Ottobock, an international company specializing in prosthetics and assistive devices, contributing to the development and testing of new technologies.
After concluding her sports career, she has worked since 2025 as a Legacy Specialist for the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, for which she is also an Ambassador. She currently also holds international athlete-representative roles within the Athletes’ Council of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Athletics.
Mitch Gourley, PLY
National Systems Lead
Para Unit, Australian Institute of Sport
Member, International Paralympic Committee Athletes' Council
Paralympian, Australia
Mitch Gourley
Mitchell Gourley began skiing at the age of eight, making his international debut when he was 15 years old. But he had to wait another 10 years until he could enjoy his first major achievement, when he sealed gold in the men’s super-combined standing at the Tarvisio 2017 World Championships.
With that title in the bag, the 2017-18 season presented him with a very good chance of medaling at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. But his best result was fifth in the super-combined. On the World Cup circuit, Gourley finished in second place in the overall men’s standing World Cup in 2017-18, repeating his performance from the previous season. He has also showed his credentials as a Proud Paralympian, being elected as Athlete Representative on the World Para Alpine Skiing Sport Technical Committee.
Gourley has received numerous awards, including Ski and Snowboard Australia Para-athlete of the year, Victorian Institute of Sport Elite Athlete with a Disability Award, Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards – Male Sportsperson of the Year, Australian Institute of Sport Para Performance of the Year and was named, alongside Joany Badenhorst, Co-captain of the Australian Team for the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Born without a left forearm, Gourley lives in Montreal, Canada but is a proud skier for the Australian team. He enjoys track cycling, trail running, cooking and climbing and has shown himself to be superstitious; confessing he always puts his left ski boot on first.
April Holmes, PLY
Board Chair Emeritus
U.S. Center for SafeSport
Paralympic Gold Medalist, United States
April Holmes
April Holmes is a Paralympic gold medalist, speaker, and executive coach who speaks out regularly her about experiences overcoming adversity to achieve athletic success. After losing part of her left leg in an accident in 2001, she rebounded to become one of the century’s most accomplished athletes with four Paralympic Games appearances, three Paralympic medals (one gold, two bronze), six World Championship medals, and more than a dozen world and U.S. record performances in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and long-jump events. She is the co-founder and CEO of HeroHangout, an online learning community for mentoring, engaging, and empowering youth through life experiences.
Brad Snyder, PLY
Member-at-Large
International Paralympic Committee Governing Board
Paralympic Gold Medalist, United States
Brad Snyder, PLY
Brad Snyder is a Navy veteran, Paralympic swimmer, scholar, and proud husband and father whose life has been shaped by service, sport, and a commitment to growth. A 2006 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer, he lost his vision while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. Less than a year later, he represented Team USA at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, earning two gold medals and beginning a Paralympic career that has since spanned multiple Games and podium finishes.
Beyond competition, Brad remains dedicated to leadership and lifelong learning. He serves in global sport governance, advocating for athlete representation and strengthening the values of the Paralympic Movement worldwide.
Through his journey of service, resilience, and discipline, Brad seeks to inspire others to pursue excellence—in sport, in leadership, and in life.
Moderator
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Center for SafeSport
LA84 Olympic Gold Medalist, United States
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley
Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is the incoming CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. An established international leader in nonprofit, sports, and business, Benita has served as CEO of Multiplying Good, a nonprofit committed to cultivating greatness through service to others. She has also served as the President of FundPlay Foundation, the VP of Community & Impact for LeagueApps, and the CEO of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, where she helped leverage the power of sport to build thriving kids and communities across the nation.
A world-class athlete, Benita won a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, making her the first American woman to accomplish this feat. She was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Teams, an alternate on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, and a gold medalist in the 1983 Pan American Games. She is an inductee into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Committed to furthering athlete well-being, Benita serves on several committees and boards, including the International Olympic Committee Commission, and the Boards of Special Olympics International and Athletes for Hope. She also served on the Senate Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics.
Benita graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, where she competed on the track and field team, becoming an eight-time national champion and a 14-time NCAA All-American. She lives in Virginia with her husband and they have two kids in college.
Olympic Symposium
The Paralympic Symposium complemented a similar conversation that took place in Milan during the Olympic Games. Learn more about the Olympic Symposium, which featured an international panel of experts in athlete safeguarding.