Inclusivity in Sport
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“Our Olympic and Paralympic community is not yet truly reflective of the nation we represent.”
Sally Munday, CEO, UK Sport Page 04
“Off the back of an incredible summer of sport, we need to take action to ensure we create a fairer society for everyone.”
Adam Blaze, CEO, Activity Alliance Page 06
Periods are not a penalty: why VAT should be removed from period sportswear
Join the campaign #PeriodsAreNotAPenalty to end VAT on period swimwear. Support women’s health, dismantle period stigmas and help young athletes stay active.
Known for advocating VAT removal on period underwear, WUKA now addresses the 20% tax on period swimwear, which remains despite last year’s VAT removal on period pants.
End period tax stigma
WUKA’s latest campaign aims to dismantle period stigmas and inequalities in women’s health, believing that the period tax hinders young swimmers and athletes — especially girls — from participating in physical activities during their periods.
Backed by Olympic champion Hannah Miley MBE and numerous period-positive partners, the brand has launched the #PeriodsAreNotAPenalty campaign, urging people to sign an open letter urging the UK Government to remove the VAT on period sportswear.
Reasons to remove sport barriers
On average, 71% of girls avoid sports and physical activities during their periods. This figure rises to 78% among girls who have dropped out of sports. The burden of managing periods, coupled with the additional cost of specialised sportswear, deters many from staying active. In marginalised communities, these figures are even more alarming: within the black community, 95% of adults and 80% of children don’t swim; within Asian communities, 93% of adults and 78% of children don’t swim (Sport England).
Nothing should hold you back during periods
To underscore the key message of the campaign, Hannah Miley MBE explains: “Menstruation happens whether you are taking part in an activity or not. It does not seem fair that those who menstruate are faced with the extra financial burden in order to take part in their sporting activities.”
Taxing period swimwear products is an outdated policy that unfairly affects women.
WUKA Founder, Ruby Raut, says: “Nothing should hold you back during your period; it’s time for the UK Government to eliminate this financial burden for women who want to stay active.”
How to support the campaign
Sign the open letter. Make your voice heard: shout about the campaign, share this article with your friends or on social media using the hashtag #PeriodsAreNotAPentalty. Write to your MP and urge them to support the campaign.
How Black women overcome fears and thrive through collective inclusion
Research shows 70% of women in England want more outdoor physical activity but face barriers. For 1 in 5 Black women, lack of access to green or blue spaces is the biggest barrier.1
WRITTEN BY Viveen Taylor Director of Equality Diversity Inclusion, Sport England
Community groups focused on inclusion — like Swim Sista Swim in Nottingham — help break these barriers down. Carol Burrell, Community Wellbeing Coordinator for Canal and River Trust, set up Swim Sista Swim as a safe and inclusive space for Black women to learn the lifesaving skill of swimming without fear of judgment.
Empowering Black women facing barriers
The majority of Black women (94%) in Nottingham want to be more active outdoors but cite barriers such as no access to green spaces and a lack of time. Swim Sista Swim aims to provide opportunities and dispel the myths and deep-rooted fears associated with swimming, to empower Black women to feel confident taking part in water-based activities.
“Myths include the belief that Black people’s bones are too heavy, along with concerns around hair care and a general fear of water,” explains Burrell. “As a Black woman myself, I understand and have the same fears. I’m not a swimmer and I’m afraid of deep water,” Burrell admits. “But I wanted to do something about it, so I decided to give swimming a go.”
Workshops and support for Black women Swim Sista Swim was launched in
April 2023 with funding from Sport England. It’s part of the Let’s Get Out There initiative from the This Girl Can campaign to empower more women to enjoy the benefits of outdoor activity. To tackle the barriers that prevent Black women from enjoying waterbased activities, Swim Sista Swim holds information workshops in addition to their classes. These involve experts such as psychotherapists and hair stylists who share valuable information, which encourages Black women to feel comfortable in the water and allows a safe space to ask questions and address their concerns.
“Being together as a group of Black women is a powerful thing,” Burrell notes. “It provides a sense of community and support that is crucial for overcoming fears.”
Burrell’s passion for Swim Sista Swim stems from a deep connection to her community. “This is my community,” she says. “I want to see Black women overcoming their fears and enjoying the water. The benefits of swimming and being involved in water-based activities are immense, and I believe every woman should have the opportunity to experience them.”
Why it’s
an
open goal for companies to champion inclusion in sport
Companies can promote inclusivity in sport via thoughtful initiatives, empowering women, helping underserved communities, fostering small business growth and supporting athletes.
Sport isn’t just good for our physical and mental health. With the right backing, it can have powerful social and economic benefits, too.
Sport inclusion empowers entrepreneurs
“Sport can be a unifying force,” says Kim Kadlec, Chief Marketing Officer at digital payments network Visa Europe. “It brings people together from diverse backgrounds to celebrate common passions and goals.”
It’s why inclusion in sport is the name of the game for the company. It aims to level the playing field through thoughtful sponsorships and a focus on empowering women, fostering small business growth, helping underserved communities and supporting athletes.
Interestingly, the company’s research reports a link between team sports and the business success of female entrepreneurs: 73% of UK women who play team sports say it has a positive impact on their business performance — perhaps because sports and business share common features, such as the need for good teamwork.1 “Through our sponsorship efforts, we seek innovative ways to support and spotlight women entrepreneurs,” says Kadlec. “While our She’s Next programme supports women in their efforts to fund, run and grow their small businesses.”
Supporting sporting talent on and off the field
Moreover, the company helps sporting talent achieve their dreams on and off the field. Its Team Visa programme supports the personal and professional development of athletes through a long-term partnership and has championed nearly 700 athletes of all backgrounds and cultures since 2000. The company also strives to drive positive impact in local markets where sporting events are being held. Recently, it supported local small and medium-sized businesses in Paris and launched a local programme in France called Pas Sans Vous (Not Without You), partnering with a leading French non-profit organisation to support young people through sports and job readiness training.
Boosting women’s football engagement
football is now at a tipping point. The key to accelerating its growth is increased investment, innovative strategies to engage fans and a fresh perspective on how the women’s game is viewed.”
With this in mind, initiatives include The Second Half, a programme that supports female footballers in the UK and Spain as they consider their careers beyond the football pitch. It also sponsors the Player of the Match award at UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO competitions. The award recognises individual excellence, female empowerment, diversity and inclusion; and it created the Visa Pep Talks campaign during the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024 to counter rising online negativity towards women footballers. Plus, it aims to enhance the experience of digitally savvy fans by making ticket and merchandise payments easier via its own secure payment technology.
66% of fans believe brands can make a positive impact on the way people view women’s football.
Brands accelerate women’s football growth
Now, the company has launched a new report — The Compound Effect in Women’s Football — revealing that fans view brand sponsorships as critical to the future of the women’s game. In fact, 70% of fans believe that brands play a role in helping boost the visibility of the sport while 67% believe that brands are essential to the sport’s development.2 Additionally, 66% of fans believe brands can make a positive impact on the way people view women’s football.
Then, there’s its involvement in increasing the popularity of women’s football. The company has supported the women’s game for over 15 years and became the first standalone sponsor of UEFA Women’s Football in 2018. “We want to provide a platform to inspire athletes and drive the global gender equality and women’s empowerment movement,” says Kadlec. “However, women’s
“Women’s football is far from reaching its ultimate potential, necessitating further growth and evolution,” says Kadlec. “We recognise the immense opportunities to influence its development. The ongoing growth is undeniable, and our investment plays a crucial role in accelerating this progress.”
References
1) Report based on a digital survey by Two Circles conducted in July/August 2024. It sam-pled 1,000 participants per market across European countries (UK, Spain, Poland, France, Germany) and globally (Australia, US).
2) The Compound Effect in Women’s Football, Visa Europe, 2024.
Football’ report.
INTERVIEW WITH Kim Kadlec Chief Marketing Officer, Visa Europe
WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway
Is inclusion the next frontier for Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic success story?
Learn how inclusion could be key to sustaining Great Britain’s golden era of success on the world stage in Olympic and Paralympic sport.
We have enjoyed yet another scintillating chapter of Great Britain’s most enduring sporting success story this summer, with Team GB and ParalympicsGB success in Paris. While we have seen massive progress in recent years, our Olympic and Paralympic community is not yet truly reflective of the nation we represent.
Inclusion essential for sport success
For the next chapter of our story to be as compelling, accelerating inclusion will be key to our success. The current reality is that people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, in particular, are significantly under-represented in British Olympic and Paralympic sport, especially in leadership and management roles.
We also have a lack of female coaches and performance directors. Despite decades of Paralympic success, we see comparatively few people with disabilities working in our community.
and can thrive.
This week, we are excited for our new Aspire to Lead programme to get underway. Launched earlier this year at our first ever Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport Conference, Aspire to Lead is a development programme for aspiring leaders from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds.
We want to put participants on a trajectory towards a senior position within sport by recognising their potential and equipping them with critical leadership knowledge and skills to think strategically, influence and challenge successfully. We will open up access to opportunities to grow their experience, increase their visibility and build their network.
We aspire to create a high-performance system that is diverse, inclusive and ethical.
Development programme for diverse leadership Change starts at the top. As a leadership organisation of Olympic and Paralympic sport in this country, UK Sport has embedded inclusivity into our strategic plan. We aspire to create a high-performance system that is diverse, inclusive and ethical; one where the nation’s diverse talent belongs
What does a truly female-friendly leisure centre look like?
Encouraging the next generation in sport
We have had an overwhelming response to the launch of this programme and are delighted to be working with 25 individuals as our first ‘in person’ cohort as well as another 20 who will be offered a ‘lite’ version of the programme online.
This is just one of the ways we are seeking to change the game for the next generation of sports leaders, coaches and athletes. Inclusion really could be the next frontier for Great Britain to sustain our position as a world-leading nation in Olympic and Paralympic sport.
the end of the grant, Places Leisure is now rolling Big Sister out nationwide to all of its 100 centres offering free or discounted memberships to girls, according to their means. This commitment to fostering a safe, welcoming space for teenage girls is one we hope other leisure providers will adopt.
Meeting women where they are
Leisure centres should be places where everyone feels safe, assured and motivated to be active. Yet, for many women and girls, this is far from the case.
A2023 Sport England study showed that 42% of women experience sexual harassment or intimidation at leisure centres, including inappropriate comments and invasion of personal space. For women aged 16–24, this figure rose to 83%.
This study aligns with the everyday experience of many people Women in Sport talk to and is concerning given the ongoing gender gap in activity.
Public leisure centres should be serving their entire community given that they are supported by public money drawn from the taxes of both men and women.
Transforming leisure centres for teenage girls
To tackle this deep-rooted issue, the charity Women in Sport teamed up
with leisure provider Places Leisure to trial ‘Big Sister.’ Initially grantfunded by the Tampon Tax, this was designed by teenage girls, for teenage girls, to make leisure centres a more welcoming place.
Over 3,000 teenage girls took part in the pilot in three relatively low-income areas in May 2022. Outreach staff encouraged girls aged 9–15 to join the centres by offering free memberships and access to girls-only classes with female instructors. The staff were trained to understand and address their needs.
The results were clear — 6 in 10 girls said they enjoyed sport more and felt more confident trying new things. As one 11-year-old girl told us: “I really like it because it’s in my age group, and it’s only girls.”
Inspired by its success, and despite
The leisure centre problem has been around throughout the 40 years our charity has existed. The early years of Women in Sport were dedicated to tackling this, influencing leisure centres to offer free creches, women-only sessions and lower rates for unemployed women to offset the gender pay gap. The progress we made depended heavily on Councils understanding their communities and sadly was set back by the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering in 1988.
Big Sister showed us that true inclusion goes beyond simply providing access. Leisure centres must understand the unique needs of women and girls to meet them where they are. Big Sister was built on powerful qualitative research into the lives of teenage girls, which found that they feel painfully visible and judged by the male eye while exercising. It recognised that girls want to be active but need to feel that they belong, and leisure centres have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to help them on this journey.
WRITTEN BY Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive, Women in Sport
WRITTEN BY Sally Munday CEO, UK Sport
Why inequity in sport and coaching is limiting talent — and how experts are fixing it
Sport should be open to everyone, but systemic barriers continue to limit access. University experts are working to empower all genders, ethnicities and abilities to achieve their sporting goals.
The career ladder for ethnically diverse coaches is unnecessarily steep. Inequalities of opportunities, experiences and outcomes hold talent back.
Addressing racialised inequities in football coaching
Experts at Loughborough University, the Sports University of the Year*, have explored these racialised inequities within football coaching. They reveal the reasons why the number of ethnically diverse coaches in senior coaching positions in football is comparatively low.
Their research uncovered how limited access to high-level training, inequitable treatment in elite coaching environments and unfair recruitment practices are major barriers for ethnically diverse coaches striving to advance their careers.
In the latter case: “An exclusive reliance on networks rather than qualifications overrides opportunities for a more equitable and culturally considered approach to coach recruitment,” explains Steven Bradbury, Senior Lecturer in Sport, Equality and Diversity.
Dr Bradbury’s research has led to policy changes that have significantly enhanced national development programmes. These improvements aim to support ethnically diverse coaches in achieving high-level coaching qualifications and gaining experience coaching at Football Association national teams and professional clubs. These are major successes in the ongoing efforts to promote equity within sport.
Challenging disability representation through Paralympic sport
While the drive to boost the visibility and recognition of Paralympic (Para) athletes in Paris represents positive change, disability-related stigma continues to limit representation and access to everything from education to sport.
By focusing on broadcasting, community engagement and Para athlete development, researchers at the University are seeking workable solutions to the persistent issue of disability stigma, with findings that have implications for how society treats disabled people.
Local paralympic broadcast shifts perceptions
The first phase of the AT2030 Para Sports Against Stigma (PSAS) project, a partnership between Loughborough University London, the University of Malawi and the International Paralympic Commitee already made gains by delivering Sub-Saharan Africa’s first free-to-air Paralympic broadcast during Tokyo 2020, helping shift perceptions of ‘disability as inability.’
“Localising Paralympic broadcasting can play a significant role in catalysing social change and advancing disability rights in the Global South,” says Jennifer Wong, Project Lead - Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDIH).
For the Paris Paralympics, #BeyondThisLand was launched to explore the digital landscape and local story telling along with sustainable and impactful broadcasting practices and to help bring assistive technology into the lives of many disabled individuals.
Championing kit for every body
As many female athletes will testify, having the right kit for your body type can have a big impact on performance. Yet, for many, the right kit is hard to find. “For many women, participation in sport is not easy, but we have a vision that inclusive engineering can change this,” says Dr Rebecca Grant, Lecturer in Biometrology.
In partnership with the adidas innovation team, experts at the University’s Sports Technology Institute are compiling invaluable data about how bodies move and the implications for support garments — including sports bras.
At the intersection of engineering and performance in sport, a new application of a technique called digital image correlation allows researchers to understand how the skin supports movement. It also highlights areas of discomfort, helping determine if someone is wearing the correct size and style of bra — introducing a world with better support.
“The fundamental goal and passion for this research, is to give more women an opportunity to experience the benefits sport can offer,” explains Lauren Holmes, PhD Doctoral Researcher in Breast Measurement.
Building better humans
By tackling barriers around disability stigma, inclusion and underrepresentation in sport, these researchers at Loughborough University are in the vanguard of how research and innovation can address longstanding inequities, paving the way for a more equal playing field.
WITH
Dr Rebecca Grant Lecturer in Biometrology, Loughborough University
WITH Dr Steven Bradbury Senior Lecturer in Sport, Equality and Diversity, Loughborough University
INTERVIEW WITH Jennifer Wong Project Lead - Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDIH), Loughborough University
Sport
should be an option to all: how to make real change
for disabled people
Following a year of incredible sport, now is the time to recognise the reality that disabled people still face significant barriers when trying to be active in their communities.
Sport and physical activity should be for everyone, regardless of age, ability or background. Yet, despite the known physical and mental health benefits, there remains a significant fairness gap in participation levels between disabled and non-disabled people. This disparity is both stark and persistent, highlighting the ongoing need for inclusive initiatives that ensure sport and physical activity are accessible to all.
Underrepresentation of disabled people
The figures speak for themselves with disabled people twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people. Moreover, 43% of disabled people feel
they have the chance to be as active as they desire, compared to 69% of nondisabled people.1 Disabled people are less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ playing, working and volunteering in sport and physical activity.
Major events have their place, but more is required
Off the back of an incredible summer of sport, we need to take action to ensure we create a fairer society for everyone. A place where everyone can be active however and wherever they want.
The Paralympic Games are an example of a much-needed positive representation of disabled
people. However, the extraordinary achievements of the country’s top athletes can feel far removed from disabled people’s own lives and experiences.
We have an opportunity to significantly improve the opportunities that disabled people have in sports and physical activities. However, there are deep-rooted inequalities that exist in society that need to be overcome.
Policy change will be needed
Six in ten disabled people say they rely on their benefits or financial assistance to be active.1 Almost two-fifths say that a fear of their benefits or financial assistance being taken away prevents them from trying to be more active.
This is something that needs to be addressed by the Government. Policy makers must provide clearer understanding and wider safeguarding to reassure disabled people that being regularly active will not threaten their benefits and other forms of government financial assistance. People should not be penalised for living an active lifestyle.
Everyone’s life is enriched by sport and physical activity. Many incredible organisations are working to close the fairness gap, but now is the time to place inclusivity at the forefront of society.
Reference 1. Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2022–23
How daily activity and social connectedness through sport support mental health
We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, with 2 million people currently stuck on waiting lists for NHS mental health services.
While it’s certainly not a replacement for medical care, physical activity or movement in inclusive environments can have a really positive impact on people’s wellbeing.
Short daily activity boosts mood
For many years, mental health, and its relationship with physical activity, has been under-researched. However, recent research from Professor Brendon Stubbs and ASICS has highlighted that the ‘sweet spot’ could involve moving for a bit over 15 minutes1 a day to feel the benefits of a lifted mood.
While we strive to reach the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of doing 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week — knowing that a short walk can help improve our mood or counter the stresses from work and daily life can be a game-changer. It reinforces the messages of campaigns such as We Are Undefeatable, which is aimed at getting people with long-term health conditions to move in their own way.
Social connectedness
NICE Guidelines for the treatment of depression focus on the benefits of being active in structured, group settings. This chimes with our own Get Set to Go research, which found that social connectedness — that feeling of
being valued and cared for — provides an added buffer of protection for our mental health. Not only can it be motivating to move with your tribe but also having people to share the ups and downs of life with. Ultimately, you need to find something that you enjoy and that you can build into your everyday life.
Prioritise mental health in sport
We’re working with the sport, physical activity and mental health communities to drive best practices to ensure sessions are safe and effective and the mental health of participants and the people running them is supported. This includes calling for all organisers to have foundational skills in mental health and signposting people to professional mental health support.
Through our partnership with the Hub of Hope, we are also listing physical activity and movement sessions, which are specifically designed to support your mental health. Safeguarding and physical first aid have been long recognised as key components of best practice in the industry — it is now time for mental health to be given the same status.
Reference 1. Stubbs, B. (2022) Uplifting Minds study. Available at https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mk/ sound-mind-sound-body-impact-uplifting-minds-study
WRITTEN BY
Hayley Jarvis Head of Physical Activity for Mind
WRITTEN BY Adam Blaze CEO, Activity Alliance
Campaign aims to create a safe, inclusive football experience for all
Celebrate inclusion in football by ensuring all fans feel safe, welcome and united — no matter their background — creating a matchday everyone can enjoy.
The Fans for Diversity campaign is a partnership between the Football Supporters’ Association and Kick It Out. Its aim is simple: to celebrate diversity in football and to ensure all fans feel safe and welcome at the game, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.
Why we need more inclusivity in football
Football tribes, football colours and the love for your team — those are the only things which should separate one fan from another. We understand the euphoria football can bring and the passion of being part of a community; shared experiences; the highs and the lows; all ‘in it’ together. We believe no one should feel excluded from something that connects people in a way nothing else can.
That’s the aim of the Fans for Diversity campaign, to support and empower people to enjoy a fantastic matchday experience — to overcome exclusion or perception of exclusion and engage clubs and other supporters to welcome those who might believe football is for ‘them’ not ‘me.’
Everyone must be welcomed and accepted
This is not about sanitising the game and taking away what makes being in a football ground special; the raw
Tackling sexism in
sport by addressing abuse of women in football
safer environment for women in football.
Sexist chanting, the abuse of female referees and physiotherapists and unwelcomed physical contact are all common themes in the matchday reports received by Her Game Too.
Support to tackle sexism and misogyny
Launched in 2021 by a group of female football fans to help tackle sexism and misogyny in sport, Her Game Too has grown to involve more than 120 volunteers and partners with 73 of the 92 Premier League and English Football League clubs. Partner clubs promote the campaign’s reporting line, which enables anyone who has witnessed or been subjected to an incident of sexism to report it. The volunteers work with
atmosphere of defiance and jubilation, which home teams want to build; and which away teams want to challenge. It’s about acknowledging and developing matchdays that can be enjoyed by everyone — whether you want to bounce for 90 minutes after a few pints or give the mascot a cuddle and sit with the family. Pies and pakoras; Bovril and beer; a rainbow flag? It does not matter once we’re in the stadium; we’re all fans with the same goal: being visible, being welcomed and being accepted.
Celebrating the diversity of football fans
It’s a difficult journey for some, and we want to make it easier. We want to make football a place where people can enjoy our national game without fear of discrimination and abuse.
Since its debut at Cardiff City, many clubs and fan groups have taken part in My Club, My Shirt producing a wide gallery of supporter portraits from across the country: Newport County, Carlisle United, Nottingham Forest, Bristol Rovers, AFC Wimbledon, Bath City, Blackburn Rovers, Wolves, Lincoln City and Lionesses fans.
Want to get involved in Fans for Diversity? We have a small grant fund to help with your ideas, so if you would like to create an event, a project or
clubs, leagues, police and partner organisations to deal with it.
Abuse towards women in sport
Issy Anderson reported the abuse she received while working as a sports rehabilitator in football and now volunteers with the campaign. “Pretty much every game I’ve done, I’ve had something shouted at me from the stands, and it’s never very nice,” she says. “I’ve learned that even if I’ve been dealing with something near the away end, I’ll walk back the long way round, past the home fans, to avoid abuse. I shouldn’t have to think about that during a match when my main focus is the players.”
Anderson’s club, Shrewton United, recently had to remove a social media post announcing her appointment
after it reached 1.2 million impressions and attracted hundreds of offensive comments relating to her looks and gender.
“After what happened with the Shrewton United post, I thought ‘I could be working in a clinic or any other sport, and I wouldn’t be getting this sort of abuse, so why should I carry on with football?’,” she says.
“But women shouldn’t be deterred from doing the job they love — and we want women to be working in this environment, showing they can work in that environment.”
Educational training on discrimination Anderson isn’t alone in her experiences. A year ago, Gillingham Football Club became the first English Football League club to temporarily ban two fans for misogynist chanting about a female physiotherapist. The supporters were required to complete educational training about discrimination provided by Her Game Too through Kick It Out before attending fixtures again.
The work extends beyond the reporting line to also champion women in all roles in sport, with subcampaigns dedicated to cricket, ice hockey and rugby. Each season, dozens of sports clubs dedicate awarenessraising fixtures to the campaign around International Women’s Day in March.
Combatting sexism in sport, a campaign empowers victims to report abuse and partners with clubs to tackle misogyny, promoting a
WRITTEN BY
Nilesh Chauhan Fans For Diversity Campaign Manager
Faye Hackwell
I kept going because when I looked at my sporting heroes, there was very little to encourage me.
How athletes in Paris 2024 inspire inclusivity and shatter sports stereotypes
Discover how this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics challenged outdated stereotypes about athletes, showcasing sports inclusivity and inspiring role models for future generations.
This summer provided the perfect antidote to two of the most poisonous views in sport: gay athletes are weak, and black people can’t swim. Team GB fans saw Tom Daley compete at his fifth Olympic Games, and we should take pride in a recognisable Olympian also being an inspirational LGBT figurehead. In the pool, Eva Okaro and Team Canada’s Josh Liendo, among others, smashed the notion that black people don’t belong in aquatic sports.
Overcoming prejudice and defying stereotypes
As a black, gay former professional swimmer, I grew up suppressing my sexuality and being told people with my skin colour can’t swim — while beating my contemporaries at national level. Repressing my true self held back my performances; pushing through tired, racist presumptions took a lot of energy.
I kept going because when I looked at my sporting heroes, there was very little to encourage me. I needed to create my own mould. Given the climate they endured, many LGBT athletes only felt ready to come out in retirement, and there remains just a handful of elite black swimmers.
Visibility can inspire others in sport
Representation would have meant so much. To be able to point to others ‘like me’ would have provided respite.
I decided to switch from Great Britain to Jamaica in 2017, making me the country’s first openly gay athlete.
Now, during my competitive career and beyond, I make a conscious effort to be visible: to show young people that yes, gay men can be just as sporty as straight men and yes, black people can swim — fast!
If you can see it, you can be it
I know the impact of my actions. On a recent school visit, I became the first person a young boy chose to come out to. He’d been too scared before, but since then, his teacher says he’s come out to others and can finally be himself.
My perspective is optimistic, and I’m enthused by the progress so far. Yet, reality is all too clear: there are icons and pioneers of almost all minority characteristics today, but openly gay men remain rare in sport and Team GB featured no black male swimmers this year.
Every instance of representation sends a ripple through the next generation. In the decades to come, let us look back on Paris as a tidal wave for inclusion.
WRITTEN BY Michael Gunning ED&I Ambassador, the British Elite Athletes Association
Michael Gunning is the ED&I Ambassador for the British Elite Athletes Association.