A new appointment at the BOA, as it bids farewell to Ryan O. Brathwaite

The Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Kendia Brathwaite as Senior Operations Officer (SOO), effective September 1, 2023. Her appointment comes as Ryan O. Brathwaite, who previously held the position, leaves to join the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) staff.

Ms. Brathwaite has been a valued member of the BOA since 2020. She started as a Programme Officer at the National Olympic Academy, where she provided coordination and logistical support to help deliver the Academy's programmes and assist with the Museum's operations. In addition to her daily duties, Ms. Brathwaite has served as the Assistant Chef de Mission for the Barbados team at the Central American and Caribbean Beach Games in 2022 and the Panam Games in 2023.

As SOO, she will provide administrative support to the General Manager. Her new responsibilities also include coordinating the BOA's strategic plan and managing the BOA's grant funding portfolio and Athlete Funding Programme. Kendia has a strong background in sports, having served in various roles, including athlete, rehabilitation technician, coach, and lecturer. She has an exceptional academic record, with Master of Science degrees from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, and The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma from the International Olympic Academy.

Kendia is “thrilled and absolutely honoured” to take on this new role and looks forward to advancing the work of the BOA.

"I am ready to champion excellence on this exciting journey while continuing to contribute to the Olympic Movement and elevation of sports in Barbados. I hope to build on my existing strong relationship with our National Federations as we continue to realise the BOA's vision by keeping an athlete-centred approach and fuelling their passion," she said.

Ryan Brathwaite will officially leave the BOA on September 21, 2023, to become the Regional Development Manager for the Americas and Caribbean region at the CGF. He initially joined the CGF in September 2020 on part-time secondment from the BOA in the same role.

Ryan, who holds a postgraduate degree in Sport Administration/Management from the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU), previously worked for Jon Tibbs Associates, a British-based sports relations and communications agency. The RIOU graduate said he is extremely appreciative of the opportunities, support, and experiences he gained at the BOA and stated that it was an “immense privilege” to have worked with dedicated and talented colleagues across the BOA family.

Ryan added, “I will forever cherish our camaraderie and shared memories. The relationships I have built at the BOA will remain valued, and I am confident our paths will continue to cross in the future. Equally, I am extremely honoured to officially join the Commonwealth Games Federation, and am thrilled to continue working with the Commonwealth Games Associations in these regions as we collectively seek to accelerate the 2023 – 2024 Commonwealth United agenda across our regions.”

The BOA and Commonwealth Games Barbados President, Sandra Osborne, extended her best wishes to Kendia and Ryan in their new roles.

“The BOA is extremely pleased to be associated with young professionals with a bright future in Sport Administration. Ryan will be an excellent full-time addition to the CGF team, and we are delighted to offer our support as he embarks on this new journey. During his secondment with CGF, he made the BOA, the CGF and the Caribbean and Americas region proud, and we are certain he will continue to do so. As Ryan departs, we are delighted that we are able to fill the position internally with Kendia’s appointment. She brings extensive knowledge and expertise to her new role, which will surely be of benefit to the BOA. We wish Kendia and Ryan every success in their new roles,” Osborne stated.