Athlete Advisory Group Elections 2026

FootO: Eline Gemperle (SUI)

I am 25 years old and a sprint-focused orienteer from Switzerland. Over the past years, I have gained valuable international experience as a part of the Swiss team and continue to develop as an elite athlete. Alongside my sports career, I work as a primary school teacher. My job has helped me understand people better and improve my communication skills. I have learned how important it is to listen carefully, consider different opinions, and find practical solutions. I believe these skills are very useful when representing athletes. For the past two years, I have been a member of the Athletes Advisory Group and the Athletes Commission and have also gained experience within the IOF Council. During this time, I have learned a lot about how the structures and processes work. I enjoy this role and feel that I am now fully involved and able to contribute in a meaningful way. For these reasons, I would like to run for re-election. I am motivated to continue supporting the athletes, to improve communication between th IOF and the athletes, and to help shape the future of our sport in a positive way.

FootO: Hanna Sudol (POL)

I have been training orienteering for over 10 years and have been on the National Team since I was 16. I have competed in EYOCs, JWOCs, World Cups, EUOC, and WUOC. In all of those, I placed in the top 10, and I won medals at both EYOC and EUOC. I am a member of several clubs: my home club in Poland (Slask), a Lithuanian club (IGTISA) where we aim for Jukola and Venla, and a Czech club (Chocef). I regularly compete and train all over Europe. I am an open-minded and sociable person; over the years, I have met many orienteers from different countries and backgrounds. Consequently, I can understand various challenges athletes face and represent the wide international field. Beyond my athletic career, I have worked as a teacher on projects to introduce orienteering to primary school kids, and I have been part of the “Green Team” beside the Polish Orienteering Federation to help make our competitions more sustainable. I am also gaining insight into the organizers’ perspective as a course setter for JWOC 2027. As a physiotherapy student, my aim is to implement knowledge about human health, biomechanics, sports training and sport-specific injuries to help orienteers train healthy and safely. I want to join the AAG to contribute to the development of orienteering, apply my knowledge and experience, and learn how the sport is managed at the highest level.

FootO: Paula Andrea Vásquez Mejía (COL)

I am applying as a candidate for the Athletes Advisory Group because my commitment to orienteering goes beyond my personal performance; it extends to improving the sport for all athletes, especially those from regions where participation, support, and visibility are still developing. I believe that orienteering in Colombia and across the American continent holds tremendous potential that is not always reflected in international decision-making. I want to contribute an authentic Latin American voice—one that represents our experiences, our challenges, and our aspirations. I value honest athlete feedback, the pursuit of fair and sustainable conditions, and the creation of opportunities so that more young athletes from our countries can compete and grow without unnecessary barriers. As both a military member and an athlete, discipline, leadership, and a strong sense of duty shape the way I compete and collaborate. I am ready to bring those same qualities to the group to help expand and strengthen the sport globally. If given the opportunity to serve, I will do so with transparency, integrity, and a genuine commitment to advancing the sport we all share.

FootO: Gustav Berman (SWE)

Having competing internationally since 2008, I have a lot of experience and I really want to use that in a positive way. Having been a part of the FootO AAG since 2016, I have seen the benefits of the recent structural changes in athletes representation within the IOF, but I have also seen that there is many things that still has to be worked on. I think that I have valuable input on how to work on athletes representation going forward with the experience I have. I love orienteering, and really want to work for the athletes to create fun, demanding, and fair competitions. Equality and sustainability are two of my biggest focus areas.

FootO: Miika Kirmula (FIN)

I’m a Finnish national team orienteer and I’ve been running WOC every year since 2016.During the years I’ve seen the sport developing quite much positively, but also having quite many issues in international competitions during the years. I am motivated to contribute constructively to the development of orienteering, ensuring that athlete perspectives are heard in matters related to different competition formats, athlete welfare and the future direction of our sport. I am committed to working responsibly for the benefit of all orienteers.

FootO: Zhanbolat Dauit (KAZ)

I am officially submitting my candidacy for the IOF Athlete Advisory Group. My goal is to combine the perspective of an active athlete with the expertise of a technical specialist to support the global growth of orienteering and its Olympic ambitions. My background covers all key aspects of the sport, allowing me to understand the needs of both athletes and organizers:

• Technical & Digital: I am an experienced specialist in the SportIdent & Huichang systems and possess significant expertise in organizing live broadcasts on YouTube, featuring real-time graphics and live data transmission from intermediate points.
• Organization & Coaching: I have extensive experience in mapping, course setting, and officiating, as well as secretarial work for events ranging from local tournaments to national championships. My coaching experience helps me stay connected with the younger generation’s needs.

I am convinced that our sport’s Olympic future depends on active engagement in Asia — a region with vast potential. Drawing on Kazakhstan’s successful experience in including orienteering in the 2011 Asian Games, I intend to:

• Promote orienteering into major multi-sport forums using proven strategic interactions.
• Advocate for athletes from developing federations facing logistical and technical barriers.
• Elevate the technological standards of competitions through modern broadcasting and online monitoring.

I fully support the IOF Terms of Reference, focusing on Clean Sport through my officiating experience and enhancing Athlete Communication via technical innovation. Representing Kazakhstan, I offer more than just a voice; I offer the technical competence to help transform orienteering into a high-tech, globally recognized Olympic sport. Thank you for your time and vision. I would be honored to have your vote.

FootO: Brodie Nankervis (AUS)

I have been part of the foot O advisory group for the past 2 years. I believe it is important to have a representative voice for those countries outside of Europe, as well as those smaller orienteering nations. I am passionate about improving the professionalism, quality and equitable access to elite orienteering.

FootO: Luiz Guilherme Maciel Melo (BRA)

My motivation to join the AAG for FootO comes from my international experience. I have competed globally from a young age, including events such as the World Schools Championships, JWOC, and WOC. I have also participated in development programs like the WOC Clinic and O-Ringen Academy, where I engaged with athletes and federation representatives from diverse backgrounds. These experiences shaped my perspective and strengthened my commitment to contributing to the sport’s global development, especially from a Latin American viewpoint. I hope to contribute by addressing inequalities among member federations, focusing on barriers to participation, event organization, regional championships, and the global distribution of major competitions. I believe orienteering can become a truly global sport, and I want to help move it closer to that reality.

TrailO: Pinja Mäkinen (FIN)

I want to be part of the Athletes Advisory Group to bring the perspective of trail orienteering athletes to IOF’s decision-making. I have fifteen years of experience in trail orienteering, including international top-level trail orienteering. I also have two years experience in TrailO Athletes Advisory Group and IOF Athletes’ Commission. In addition, I also have previous experience as a high-level Foot-O and Ski-O athlete, which allows me to bring a cross-discipline perspective to decision-making.

TrailO: Claudio de Moura Castro Jacques (BRA)

An athlete dedicated to the discipline of Trail Orienteering, Claudio has been steadily specializing and participating in competitions and technical activities in different regions of the world. This international involvement has provided him with an in-depth understanding of the particularities, challenges, and best practices of the sport. His participation in the Working Group will certainly bring valuable knowledge to Brazil for strengthening and developing TrailO, expanding the technical base and promoting structural improvements in the country.

TrailO: Aaron Gaio (ITA)

Active orienteering participant in orienteering since 1998, I am member of the Italian TrailO team since 2020; as a TrailO Elite competitor, I won 3 silver medals in relay and was European Champion in PreO in 2024. IOF adviser in both TrailO and FootO; have been active in SkiOrienteering and MTBOrienteering. Apart from that, I am an organizer of many events, mostly in roles regarding courses or technical aspects, nationally and internationally (in FootO; EOC2023 – WC2024 – JWOC2025 – WOC2026 – Trentino O Week 2027; in TrailO many national competitions in Italy). I am also responsible for regional committee of Trentino of the Italian Federation, working also on some inclusive projects for TrailO; member of the Alpe Adria Orienteering Group and Arge Alp. Being a member of the Athletes Advisory Group would mean to put some experience into discussion; I find it inspiring to talk with other athletes and competitors before and after the competition and to review and hear feedback coming regarding events, rules and other decisions. I have been in the group in the last two years and think we had some productive discussion there. I discover TrailOrienteering only in the last 4 years, but I am very keen in spreading its visibility and importance among fellow orienteers, institutions, partners, associations dealing with disabilities and so on…

TrailO: John Kewley (GBR)

“JK” has been a member of the British Trail Orienteering team since 2009 and competed at many World and European Championships. He was formerly a top-level Mountain Orienteer with many top positions in European Mountain Orienteering events including the IOF World Marathon Orienteering Trophy which he won in 2001 after 2^nd in 2000. He was far less successful at Ski Orienteering although did compete for GBR at Alpen Cup level. He has orienteered in 23 IOF countries and also frequently competes in online events. As well as competing, he is also active in coaching, planning and controlling (event advising) for both FootO and TrailO events. He will be the IOF co-Senior Event Adviser for the 2026 European Trail Orienteering Championships (ETOC) after being the Assistant SEA in 2016 and has also acted as “Speaker” at several ETOC and WTOC medal ceremonies. He has co-chaired the IOF TrailO Athletes’ Advisory Group and served on the IOF Athletes’ Commission for the last 2 periods.

– TrailO has seen some important changes in the last few years. Many of these changes have come from consultations between the TOC and TrailO AAG. I believe I have contributed to this process and would like to continue to do so for the next period. 

SkiO: Doris Kudre (EST)

I am a 28-year-old ski-orienteer from Estonia and have been competing internationally in ski-orienteering for 13 years. I have been a member of the SkiO Athletes Advisory Group and the Athletes Commission for the last 5 years. In the last election period, I also served as Chairperson of the Athletes Commission. My enthusiasm for continuing in the SkiO AAG remains high and I am motivated to keep contributing, now with even more experience. Over the last years in the AAG, our focus has been on crucial issues such as presenting athletes’ views on different rule changes, gathering feedback from participating athletes after every major IOF event, and communicating arising matters from athletes to the IOF and vice versa. Together as a team we helped establishing the new WSOC program and gave clear and constructive feedback on the new map symbols. Representing other athletes carries responsibility, but it also gives us the opportunity to truly make a change. It allows us to make the sport even more fair and more enjoyable for athletes, where voices are heard from both small and big nations. I am eager to stay committed to our efforts, specifically to improving communication and encouraging innovation in our sport. My values have not changed over the years – I highly value fair play, transparent and effective communication, and ensuring that the voices of athletes are truly heard.

SkiO: Delia Giezendanner (SUI)

My name is Delia, I am a 23-year-old ski-orienteer from Switzerland. I competed at my first EYSOC nine years ago, and since then I have taken part in many international competitions. Over the years, ski-orienteering has become a big part of my life. Alongside ski-orienteering, I am studying Sports Science. Through my studies, I have learned more about training, athlete development, and how sport systems work, which I think can also be useful when discussing topics within our sport. I would like to be part of the Athletes Advisory Group because I care about how ski-orienteering develops in the future. Fair play and equal conditions for all athletes are very important to me. I could bring an added perspective to the group as someone from Central Europe. At the same time, I know the Scandinavian ski-orienteering scene, having lived and trained for a few months in Mora, Sweden. Experiencing both environments has given me insight into different approaches and perspectives within our sport.

SkiO: Satu Tuomisto (FIN)

I have been in SkiO AAG since last selection and would like to continue the work for our sport. For me it is important that the sport can develop and at the same time secure fair competitions for all.

SkiO: Jonatan Stahl (SWE)

I have been a part of the SkiO Athletes Advisory Group for the past 2 years, and have among other things worked hard to get the Relay and Long Distance back to the World Championship program (looking forward to Lillehammer 2027!). I would like to continue to work to improve our sport in a conservative manner, focusing on a few different things:

• Advocate for stricter Embargo Area rules for World Championships
• Work for a rule change in Coach Zones so they can hand poles (and skies) to skiers with broken equipment
• Put pressure on the IOF Office to improve U23 and Team World Cup visibility

MTBO: Karin Gustafsson (SWE)

My name is Karin, I’m 34 years old and from Sweden. I have grown up doing foot-O on pretty much all available weekends in the spring and fall. When I was about 20 I was introduced to MTBO and ski-O and have since then competed a lot in MTBO and a tiny bit in ski-O. I went to my first international MTBO event in 2017, and have been a regular attender on all WMTBOC since 2021. I believe that the best way to keep the interest in the sport is to make it accessible and make the rules easy to understand, and also to follow. Now I would like to rejoin the MTBO AAG to have the chance of improving MTBO, together with other athletes with similar goals.

MTBO: Jana Hnilica (AUT)

I’m Jana, 24 years old and I’m doing MTBO since I was a little child. I participated in my first international Championships in Portugal in 2016. I immediately fell in love with the international MTBO-family and ever since wanted to improve the sport. Now, I’ve been in the AAG the last period and really enjoyed it which is why I would like to do it again for the upcoming period.

MTBO: Vojtech Ludvik (CZE)

Some of you might know me by my nickname, Needy. I started competing internationally as a junior and haven’t skipped a season since. Over the years I’ve been to many great MTBO locations all over the Europe. Since 2016, I have been representing MTBO athletes in AC/AAG and would like to continue doing so. My life is largely shaped by this sport, and my aim is to promote it as much as I can. I’m also part of the team behind the O-VAN YouTube channel.

MTBO: Hiro Ayano (JPN)

I started MTBO at the age of 13 and experienced my first World Championships in 2017 in Lithuania. Since then, I have participated in a total of seven World Championships. Through these experiences, I have made many friends from various countries. As an athlete from a team based outside Europe, simply taking part in MTBO races is already a significant challenge. However, the friends I met along the way have always been willing to support us and welcome us warmly. Their kindness has made me love this sport even more. I believe that by becoming a member of the Athlete Advisory Group, I can give something back to the MTBO community. I also hope that this role would contribute to the further development of MTBO in Japan in the future.

MTBO: Will Whittington (AUS)

I have grown up in an orienteering household in Tasmania, where MTBO is very small and I have had to make my own path to compete on the world stage. What motivates me to be a part of the athlete advisory group is that I feel athletes from the Oceania region can be left out of conversations around our sport. I also bring a different perspective and angle to discussions, as I am sitting outside of the European focus of the sport.