He said: “I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s BUCS Conference. Higher education sport has a vital role to play in encouraging people of all abilities to participate as well as nurturing the nation’s elite sports men and women of the future.”

Holmes is Britain’s most successful individual Paralympic swimmer ever, having won nine gold medals across three Games, breaking 35 world records and won numerous World and European titles. Despite losing his sight overnight aged only 14, Chris gained straight As at A-level and a place at Cambridge University to read politics. While still a student, Chris won six gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Games, a feat never equalled by any Briton.

Having been awarded an MBE aged 20, served on the board of UK Sport and the Disability Rights Commission and practicing at a leading city law firm, Holmes joined LOCOG in August 2009. He is responsible for the delivery of the Paralympic strategy across LOCOG, ensuring that all of the planning and delivery for the Games is firmly imbedded in the appropriate functional areas across the business. Quite simply, his role is to lead on all things Paralympic.

The conference, taking place 13 -16 July, will bring together university staff and elected officers who manage sport and physical activity opportunities across 150 higher education institutions in the UK.

Holmes added: “On a personal level, I know how important it is to get the right relationship between higher education and sport because I was studying at university when I won six gold medals at Barcelona 1992.

"Although moving higher education sport forward is all the more challenging in a difficult economic climate, the opportunity remains. I hope the events and discussions on delivering more for less will enable and inspire many more student athletes to fulfil their undoubted potential in the build up to London 2012 and beyond.”

Conference places and further information are available at www.bucs.org.uk/conference. Chris will be speaking on Tuesday 13 July at 14.30.