WORLD OBSTACLE ATHLETE ADVISORY COUNCILS

OVERVIEW

The FISO Athlete Advisory Councils (AACs) are standing committees of FISO that broaden communication between FISO and elite athletes in each sport and serves as a source of opinion and advice on FISO policies that effect obstacle sports worldwide.

The AACs may appoint athletes to FISO nominating committees, panels empowered to resolve grievances, and any committee that prepares, approves or implements programs regarding the selection of international championships, Olympic, Continental and Sub-continental Games team members, including athletes, coaches, administrators and support staff.

The AAC members are the representatives of the Athlete Advisory Boards (AABs), consisting of elite athlete representatives from each obstacle sport (Ninja, OCR and Adventure Racing) in each member federation country in their continental region.

MEMBERS

The AACs for each obstacle sport consists of seventeen (17) voting members and five (5) members with voice but no vote:

• The Chair of the  Athlete Commission who shall be the AAC Director and shall have the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
• Fourteen (14) elite athletes with full voting rights, comprised of two (2) representatives from each of seven (7) continental regions: Africa, North-Central America, South America, Asia, Pacific, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. At least one (1) athlete from each region must be a woman.
• Two (2) elite para-athletes, one man and one woman, who may not be from the same continental region, with full voting rights.
• The presidents of each of four (4) continental regions, with voice but no vote; Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
• The president of FISO, with voice but no vote.

FUNCTION

The AACs make recommendations to the Central Board on issues related to the needs and concerns of the elite athletes, including:

• selection of elite athlete races;
• qualification procedures for the selection of members to Elite National Teams;
• the establishment and maintenance of elite rankings;
• event disciplines and formats;
• adoption, amendment and enforcement of competition rules; and
• procedure for the appointment or election of elite athletes to the AAC

ATHLETE SEATS

Elite athletes may hold a seat on the AAC if:

• Within the ten (10) years preceding an election, they have represented their country in obstacle or related sports in the Olympic or Pan American Games, a World Championship, a Continental Championship recognised by the FISO, or an IPC-recognised World Championship in events on the Paralympic Games program; or
• Within the twenty-four (24) months before the election, they have demonstrated that they are actively engaged in amateur athletic competition by finishing in the top half of elite national championships or team selection competition for the events above; or
• Hold a current elite license as defined by the AAC and approved by the FISO Central Board
• authority for approval of applications and nominations for the AAC resides with the Chair.