Rita van Driel

Rita van Driel (born February 25, 1961) is a Dutch board executive of the International Paralympic Committee since 2009. During her time with the IPC, she was an evaluator of the 2022 Winter Paralympics and coordinator of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Before joining the IPC, van Driel was an evaluator of the 2010 Winter Olympics for the International Olympic Committee.

Early life and education Rita van Driel was born on February 25, 1961, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In the 1980s, she completed a teacher's college program and specialized as a gym teacher. Afterwards, van Driel went to the University of Groningen to complete her post-doctorate in sports management. In 2013, she completed an additional certificate from the World Academy of Sports.

Career In 1984, van Driel started her career as an elementary school teacher in Rotterdam. She moved onward in 1989 to the Dutch Ski Federation and became an instructor for skiers with disabilities. After leaving her instructing position in 1997, she worked as a high school skiing teacher until 2001. and as a coordinator of the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2016. Van Driel was reelected to the IPC in 2017.