The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) launched its TikTok channel in 2020 and quickly identified an opportunity to creatively leverage extensive Paralympic footage. Led by a Paralympian with firsthand insight into both the platform and athlete experience, the IPC adopted a bold strategy combining humor with educational content. This unique, authentic approach resonated profoundly, turning TikTok into IPC’s fastest-growing platform, becoming their first social channel to surpass 1 million followers during Paris 2024.

Key tactics

According to Jonas Oliveria, Head of Content for the International Paralympic Committee, three major approaches fuelled their content to resonate with audiences.:
1. Authentic approach to growing and connecting with audiences: taking bold creative risks and adopt an unexpected tone of voice resulted in a TikTok audience of 4.7m
2. Platform fluency: Leveraging trending sounds and popular memes on the platform enabled content to be relatable, particularly with younger audiences
3. Trust in their team: Empowering their team – particularly a Paralympian with firsthand experience – ensured authenticity and deep community connection, resulting in sustained engagement and loyalty.

“What we were doing was simple and at the same time disruptive: treating Para athletes like any athlete and not being afraid of using humour just because they have a disability.”

Balancing content themes: meme/entertainment vs educational

Their core goal with their social media strategy was to raise awareness about Paralympic Sport. The channel garnered over 1 billion views and 166 million engagements during the Paris 2024 Paralympics, significantly outperforming other IPC social platforms. This balanced strategy combined viral, entertainment-driven content with educational moments that informed audiences about Paralympic sports, creating lasting awareness.

• Integrating education using explanations of Paralympic sport to increase awareness
• Key information about athletes were described in the captions or comments
• High-Frequency Posting: Multiple daily updates covering key moments, from competition highlights to athlete reactions – 8 of the top 10 most engaging posts are from the field of play
• Viral Edits: Leveraged TikTok sounds and meme trends, expanding reach beyond sports fans – seen in the “Air Piano” triathlon clip, which garnered over 35m views.

Managing expectations and navigating controversy The IPC’s bold TikTok strategy was well-received by athletes, member organisations, and stakeholders, as reflected in impressive performance metrics and increased visibility for
Paralympic sports. Nevertheless, their humorous and unconventional approach did attract controversy, prompting varied reactions—especially among those less familiar with disability-related conversations. Despite this, IPC effectively leveraged controversy as an opportunity to encourage essential dialogue about disability representation, furthering their core mission and deepening public understanding of Paralympic sport.

Long-term impact

IPC’s strategic use of TikTok has transformed it into their most engaged social media channel, significantly boosting
public awareness of the Paralympic Movement. Critical lessons from their success include:

• Humor and relatability drive engagement but must always remain respectful and authentic.
• Quick adaptation to trends greatly amplifies reach.
• Athlete-centric content cultivates long-term audience loyalty and sustained interest beyond immediate events.
• Ongoing, post-event engagement maintains momentum and reinforces the Paralympic legacy beyond competition.

The IPC’s clear purpose and creative confidence on TikTok have not only achieved impressive growth but also positioned Paralympic athletes as powerful, relatable role models, creating lasting social impact.