What might the future of physical literacy look like if we broadened our focus? Professor Fiona Chambers will explore this question at the 2026 International Physical Literacy Conference in “Futuring Physical Literacy for Everyone (and everything).”
A Keynote and Live Futures Lab
Part keynote, part Live Futures Lab, the session is an odyssey into the physical literacy futures we might create — futures that welcome everyone and everything. At its heart is a vision of physical literacy as a sustainable ecosystem, one that takes into account both people and the planet.
The keynote closes the conference on Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m.
About Professor Fiona Chambers
Fiona Chambers is Professor of Education, Sport and Innovation at University College Cork in Ireland, with more than 30 years of international experience bridging research and practice.
A founder, researcher, teacher educator, design thinking coach, and 2-time TEDx speaker, she serves as Vice-President of CEREPS, the European Research Council for Physical Education and School Sport. She is also Senior Advisor to the UNESCO Global Observatory in Gender Equality and Sport, a UNESCO CIGEPS Observer, and co-founder of the European Educational Research Association Network 18, Research in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.
From 2022 to 2026, Fiona served as President of AIESEP, the International Association des Écoles Supérieures d’Éducation Physique.
In 2026, she founded FIELDPLAY: A Think and Do Tank, which focuses on shaping the future through sport. In 2025, she co-founded #PE4PISA, a global movement advocating for the inclusion of physical education in OECD PISA, and founded the Future Sport Forum.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chambers founded the Global Design Challenge, which ran from 2020 to 2022 with UNESCO patronage and focused on innovation in sport and physical activity.
She is a government-appointed member of the board of directors of Sport Ireland. In 2023, she received the inaugural Federation of Irish Sport ‘Women in Business in Sport’ Award. She was also named among Sport for Business ‘50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport’ in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Register for IPLC 2026
IPLC 2026 will take place from October 1 to 3, 2026, at the Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis in Toulouse, France. The conference is co-hosted by Sport for Life and the Toulouse Université Club, in partnership with the University of Toulouse.
- Regular registration: €420
- Late registration, beginning September 19: €470
- Air France and KLM discount: Save 10% on eligible flights using Event ID GME60771AF, valid from September 24 to October 10
Delegates from more than 30 countries are expected to attend.
Register at: physicalliteracy.ca/IPLC
For conference inquiries, contact shelley@sportforlife.ca.