Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's wife, Therese Rein, has been appointed to the honorary board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
IPC president Sir Phillip Craven invited Ms Rein to sit on the board after she expressed her desire to promote the Paralympics.
Ms Rein is an honorary member of the Australian Paralympic team that will compete in the Beijing Games starting on Saturday.
Her father, John Rein - who was injured while serving as a RAAF navigator - participated in the predecessor to the Paralympics, the Stoke Mandeville Games while undergoing rehab at the English hospital during the 1950s.
"The Paralympians inspire us," Ms Rein said in a statement.
"They are about boundless courage and human achievement - discovering your individual greatness and through dedication, grit, persistence and discipline - and being the best you can."
The IPC decided to create the honorary board in 2003 to allow leaders of society an opportunity to support the movement.
Other honorary board members include Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Prince Albert of Monaco and former World Bank president James Wolfensohn.
