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This article also online at http://www.innewsweekly.com/Pages/ArtsStories/sportsconfab.html
BOSTON, MA – If you’re in the mood for star-gazing next weekend, you’re in luck as two former Olympic gold medalists will be in town for a landmark confab aimed at boosting the visibility of gay athletes and the games they play.
Over the weekend of March 28-30, medalists Mark Tewksbury, a Canadian gold medalist swimmer, and Holly Metcalf, a US gold medalist rower, will take center stage at the first annual National Gay and Lesbian Athletics Conference. As keynote speakers, they will be addressing a crowd of gay and lesbian professional/recreational athletes, coaches, high school and college athletes, and academics at MIT University in Cambridge.
There’s something special about a Olympic gold medal, especially when you’re gay. It’s a lifetime dream for many athletes, borne out of sacrifice, perseverance, and some luck. For the chosen few who manage to accomplish this feat, their future is often filled with lucrative financial endorsements and a very public life. For other athletes, especially those who struggle to hide that they are gay, winning an Olympic gold medal can mean the start of a new beginning. According to conference organizers, gay Olympic athletes are more common than you think, but only a few are able to forge a new identity after winning gold, utilizing their public stature to make a difference in their communities.
Tewksbury is one of them. His 16-year swimming career is no doubt outstanding, carrying with it three Olympic medals (a gold, a silver, and a bronze), seven world records, an induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and even a cover page of Time Magazine. But for him, these accomplishments were burdened by his desire to explore his sexuality, in a safe and open environment. Being a media darling in Canada didn’t help his cause, so in 1994 he left Canada for Sydney, Australia. He moved to Australia because of the anonymity it could provide, and he could pursue his university studies while exploring freedom as a gay man.
Today Tewksbury has proved to be one of Canada’s most personable, popular, outspoken personalities. He is a much sought after public speaker and author of a best-selling memoir. He has written for publications such as The Globe and Mail, The Ottawa Citizen and Flare Magazine. He is currently the Honorary Co-President and Board Member of Montreal 2006, Gay Games VII.
Tewksbury is also the co-founder of OATH, an advocacy group working behind the scenes on the controversial issue of International Olympic Committee reform. He is a humanitarian, investing his time in the Special Olympics, people living with AIDS and in bettering the lives of amateur athletes around the world.
Holly Metcalf has been involved with rowing as an athlete and coach for twenty-two years and is a six time national/Olympic team member, bringing home the Olympic gold in 1984, as well as three silver and one bronze World Championships medals between 1981 and 1987.
In 1990 after coaching her women's national team to a silver medal finish at the World Championships inTasmania, Holly joined Project TEAMWORK, a Reebok sponsored human rights speaking team. As a result of her efforts with Project TEAMWORK, Holly began to address the sexist, elitist, racist reputation that rowing has had in the past, by founding her program, Row-As-One Institute, Inc. Holly's vision for Row As One was that of a program that would reach inner city youth and adults who are interested in learning how to row in the Bostonarea. Row-As-One stands as one of the most successful programs in the Boston area today, partnering with Community Rowing Incorporated to help achieve Holly’s dream.
Holly completed her masters and Certificate of Advanced Study from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Risk and Prevention and Human Development and Psychology and she is currently writing a book about rowing, being a female athlete, and how keeping a journal since age sixteen helped her achieve her Olympic victory in 1984. Holly’s girls and womens programs have been featured on the NBC Today Show, CNN, NPR, Oxygen Media, The Connection with Christopher Lydon, Sports Illustrated for Women, SHAPE Magazine, and many other magazines and newspaper articles.
“ The first Gay and Lesbian Athletics Conference has already had an impact on my life: my participation has generated conversations with friends, colleagues, and family about the meaning of athletics in our lives and the importance of athletics as one of many forms of self-expression for all people — the common ground on which to build understanding and inquiry around sexuality, and many other issues,” said Metcalf.
According to conference organizers, Holly and Mark, both of whom have been active on the speaker’s circuit since their wins, will speak candidly about their experiences at an “Olympian Brunch” on Sunday, March 30. They’ll share stories about what inspired them to come out, how they are making an impact in their community, and more important, what they believe is the future of public gay and lesbian athletes in Athens 2004, Turin 2006, and Beijing 2008.
According to conference organizer Mac Chinsomboon, this is a rare event, one that brings together two of the Olympic’s most successful and most public gay and lesbian ambassadors. “This really is a treat to have both Holly and Mark speaking together, about a topic that binds them both. They are our ambassadors to the world of Olympic sports, and having them be a part of this historic conference is simply fantastic,” he said. “More important, Holly and Mark’s message about perseverance in pursuit of goals will be important, a message that conference organizers hope will empower attendees to create more sport opportunities for gay and lesbian people in their respective communities.”
The “Olympian Brunch” is just one of the many events happening during the three day conference at MIT. The conference will also include a Health and Wellness Expo (featuring some of the best local doctors who will be on hand to do consultations and presentations on the latest in sports medicine), a welcome reception hosted by Mayor Menino at City Hall, and a full roster of panel discussions and networking opportunities featuring more professional athletes and renowned authors.
Find out more about the local conference by visiting: www.gayconference.org. Conference organizers note that there are student discounts, group rates, and Saturday only passes available to all participants.
