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.
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.
In February, Ethan Akanni became British Universities 60m hurdles champion and then won bronze at nationals. He explains why he’s also proud to be in the new Athletics Pride Network. “Coming out as gay in athletics has boosted my confidence.