Parsons was born in Brazil to Scottish parents.[2] He served as chairperson of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee from 2009 to 2017, chairperson of the Americas Paralympic Committee from 2005 to 2009, and as a member of the Nominating Committee for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.[3][4]
He is the current president of the International Paralympic Committee since 8 September 2017. Parsons took over from Sir Philip Craven, who had been in office since 2001,[5] after being elected in the first round in the election held during the 18th assembly of IPC in Abu Dhabi.
Parsons himself does not have a disability, a fact that, he says, takes some observers by surprise.[6]
While attending the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Parsons declared his horror at the Russian invasion of Ukraine and called on world authorities to promote peace.[7] While addressing the spectators and athletes in attendance at Beijing, China's Bird Nest, Parsons stated that “Tonight, I want, I must begin with a message of peace” and that "As the leader of an organization with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now.”[7]