Dr Mike Hutchinson

Mike studied for a BSc in Sport and Exercise at the University of Bath, during which he completed a placement with ParalympicsGB in the lead up to the 2012 London Games where he was first introduced to Professor Vicky Tolfrey.

Thereafter, Mike was involved with research conducted in the PHC before making the move to Loughborough for his MSc in Exercise Physiology, where his final research project was supervised by Vicky. Mike continued his journey at Loughborough with a PhD in "The application of subjective ratings of perceived exertion to regulate exercise intensity during upper body exercise", and thereafter as a Research Associate/Lab Technician. During this period he was able to make connections in the field of Para Sport, gain practical academic experience and develop a strong interest in classification. This led to him joining ParalympicsGB in January 2022 as their Athlete Services Manager, leading their work on classification and attending the Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Mike joined the IPC in May 2025 as Head of Classification. Reporting to the Director of Classification, Mike is responsible for the delivery of the IPC’s classification portfolio, with a particular focus on delivering the implementation and compliance activities with the 2025 IPC Classification Code.

The IPC Classification Team work closely with the IPC membership and Recognised International Federations in implementing the Classification Code and developing their classification systems. The team also deliver a number of other initiatives in areas such as education, vision impairment classification and NPC engagement, whilst also seeking to build relationships with the athlete community, classifiers and wider stakeholders.

With a Games every 2 years, there is always something to look forward to. Mike is excited for the LA 2028 Games that will see Para Climbing make its debut at the Paralympic Games. He is also excited to contribute to the advancement on the Paralympic movement through his work in classification.

The PHC team would like to thank Mike for sharing his journey, from his time with us and the influence this has had in his career to date. We can’t wait to hear and see how Mike grows in his role at the IPC.