discover the journey of these inspiring athletes
In the meantime, I am 27 years old and since mid-March I have been telling my loved ones and the outside world that I fall in love with men and not women. Quite a step, which was accompanied by doubts and a little fear. After my first conversations with the team and my loved ones, it turned out that this was unnecessary. For people who experience the same fear as I do, I would like to tell my story.
At the age of 18, so when I was doing skeleton for nearly five years, I came out as gay. Because being true to myself, instead of hiding or changing who I am, improved my sport performance. It gives me a sense of freedom that lifts me up and gives me wings. Hiding your true colours takes a lot of energy and I decided to use my energy for my sport instead.
Over the almost four years that I’ve been out in ultimate there has been a steadily increasing number of out trans and non-binary players, including several that have specifically reached out to me to say how I’ve helped lead the way. This is the power of representation. This is the power of out, vocal, and visible LGBTQ+ athletes. Those who have taken the steps before can help lead the way for those who come after.
I definitely felt that I had to hide parts of myself as a young person. However, college allowed me to spread my wings and be more open. My college volleyball teammates were fantastic and were a huge part of helping me find myself. They are my second family. I have been blessed to coach in some very accepting communities and universities.
Without a role model to follow, multiple world champion bouldering Alex Johnson maintained her secrecy. She remembers feeling like, “I have no one to talk to, nobody knows who I am, I hate myself, why can’t I be normal?” It wouldn’t be until Johnson started her relationship with Bree Robles that her confidence began to build…
My father founded the badminton club named Wit-Wit in Ronse in 1988. Just like him, my brothers were big fans of the sport, so as little sister I couldn’t miss out. I was practically born with a racket in my hand and when I was 14 years old, I made the choice to go to the school for top athletes in Antwerp.
tips & tricks, opinions and more OFTW adventures
One day after Trans Day of Visibility, Els Van Doesburg, alderman of N-VA and new columnist of De Morgen, decides to open an attack on trans athletes. Her starting point? Reducing trans women to mediocre men’s bodies who will walk away with medals in women’s competitions. A bad 1 April joke that calls for a basic lesson in gender and sport.
We are on the verge of a wonderful sports summer with the Olympic Games, the European Football Championship and many other events. Athletes of whom we are proud are working their butts off. We support them, we look up to them, and yet many of them cannot be fully themselves.
Out For The Win is at the table with the Flemish government together with Sport.Vlaanderen and Çavaria to see what steps we can take for more inclusion and acceptation of LGBT+ athletes in sports.
Whether you have no problem at all to speak in front of your team or you’re rather shy, there might come a moment when you want to share with your teammates and club that you’re gay, bi or trans. Here are ten ideas that can help you!
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