Toby Cunliffe-Steel, a former New Zealand lightweight rower, is bringing his passion for sports integrity and athlete advocacy to the global stage as a newly elected member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete Council (WADA announcement here). Representing rowing and athletes worldwide, Cunliffe-Steel is eager to contribute to shaping the future of sport with integrity at its core.
Cunliffe-Steel's three-year term started on January 1st. Nominated by World Rowing, his appointment followed an election process involving International Federations (IFs) such as World Athletics and World Aquatics.
"It's an immense honour," said Cunliffe-Steel. "I'm deeply appreciative of the global sporting community that entrusted me with this responsibility, and so proud to represent rowing in this new way. I see this as a chance to give back to a sport that's given me so much while working to protect and advance the integrity of sport as a whole."
A Journey Shaped by Rowing
Cunliffe-Steel's rowing story began thanks to the encouragement of the Reelick family, with Kelsey and Erin having gone on to represent Princeton and the USA with great success, as recently as the Paris Games.
During an eight-year international career representing New Zealand, Cunliffe-Steel competed in World Championships, an FOQR, and he became the first and only New Zealand rower to medal at the World Universiade. Domestically, he claimed eight national titles and contributed off the water as a board member for Waikato Rowing Club and Waikato Rowing Performance Centre, New Zealand's most successful rowing club and performance centre and home to legends like Eric Murray and Rob Waddell.
"I owe so much to rowing," said Cunliffe-Steel. "It's influenced who I am today, introduced me to some of my closest friends, and gave me opportunities I'll cherish forever. But like many others, my experiences across various sports exposed me to integrity issues, like discrimination, cheating, bribery, harassment, and abuse, which motivated me to try and prevent similar experiences for others.
Representing Rowers and Beyond
The WADA Athlete Council exists to ensure that athlete's voice is at the heart of the global anti-doping movement. Cunliffe-Steel brings anti-doping-specific advocacy experience as Chair of the Athlete Commission for New Zealand's National Anti-Doping Organisation. In his new role with WADA, he hopes to build on this experience to represent not only rowers but athletes across all sports.
"Rowing has a proud history as a clean sport, but we can't be complacent," Cunliffe-Steel noted. "Part of my role on the Council will be to understand and share the successes and challenges of our sport while learning from others. Collaboration is key — every sport faces unique challenges, but we all share the same goal: fair and clean competition."
What Comes Next
The WADA Athlete Council plays a pivotal role in shaping policies, providing feedback on critical issues, and fostering collaboration between athletes, sports organisations, and governments.
The Council will convene for its first in-person meeting on March 17, 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland, followed by WADA's Annual Symposium. "I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow Council members and diving into the work ahead," said Cunliffe-Steel. "We have a unique opportunity to influence the future of sport, and I'm determined to do it justice."
An Open Invitation
Cunliffe-Steel hopes his appointment will create opportunities for connection and collaboration with the rowing community. "If you're involved in rowing and have questions, concerns, or ideas about anti-doping, I want to hear from you," he said. "Doing my best to ensure every athlete's voice is heard and valued is at the core of what I'm here to do."
You can connect with Toby Cunliffe-Steel or follow his journey, via social media: Instagram or LinkedIn. As he steps into the role, Cunliffe-Steel says he remains committed to upholding the values that rowing and sport at large stand for — fairness, integrity, and the pursuit of excellence.