Meet the out LGBTQ Olympians and elite athletes forming a new support network
'Proud Champions' is a legacy project from Pride House Paris at last year’s Olympics that aims to empower queer athletes. The post Meet the out LGBTQ Olympians and elite athletes forming a new support network appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
Olympic gold medalist Eric Radford is among the famous faces supporting a new network for LGBTQ athletes, coaches and sports professionals.
The launch of “Proud Champions” follows the successful staging of Pride House Paris at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
The network’s website features profiles of an initial 15 member athletes, all of whom have experience in elite sports. Some have now retired, while others are still competing.
The Pride House Paris venue and wider initiative were supported by the International Olympic Committee and helped to provide greater LGBTQ visibility compared to previous editions of the Games.
Related
Olympian Javier Raya and Compete Proud team up with Outsports to champion inclusion in sport
Compete Proud was born from the desire of Olympian Javier Raya to build LGBTQ inclusion first in figure skating, and now across sports.Gay athlete has boyfriend and great teammates — but Pride reminds him life’s not perfect
Following a strong season, pro handball player Ola Hoftun Lillelien is fighting harder than ever for his community. He talks to Outsports about finding love, team spirit, and the shadow cast by the 2022 mass shooting in Oslo.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Our weekly playbook is packed with everything from locker room chatter to pressing LGBTQ sports issues.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Radford, who retired from competitive figure skating three years ago, having won an Olympic title for Canada in the team event at PyeongChang 2018 and two world titles in pairs, attended the recent launch event for the network in Paris.
“You can be more yourself when you feel safe,” he said. “That’s the kind of environment we want to help create for every athlete.”
Radford first shared his story of being LGBTQ in 2014 via an interview with Outsports and went on to become the first man to win a Winter Olympics gold medal while being publicly out as gay.
Earlier this year, he moved to London to join the British reality TV show “Dancing On Ice” as one of its professional skaters.
One of the driving forces behind “Proud Champions” is Javier Raya, also an Olympic figure skater and the founder and managing director of Compete Proud.
The diversity and inclusion in sports platform has teamed up again with France’s Fier-Play to run the network, aiming to create physical and virtual spaces in which LGBTQ people in European sports can find confidence and community.
Fier-Play created and delivered Pride House Paris, which was open on the south bank of the River Seine for the course of the Olympics.
“Our goal is to ensure that the values of Pride House — respect, visibility and pride — continue long after the Games,” said Raya.
“Through Proud Champions, we want to empower athletes to use their voice, connect across disciplines, and find pride in their diversity.”
Raya has also told Outsports that while the new network has an European focus, it can be accessed by LGBTQ people and strong allies in sports from around the world.
“We are open to everyone around the globe,” he explained. “In a way, this network already exists through the different initiatives and people we’re connected with, such as through Pride House last year, and EuroGames this year.”
Formally launching the initiative is a way to bring together those who are visible with those who are not. “We really want to have this platform to support them.”
The 15 featured athletes on the “Proud Champions’ Members” page are:
- Jeremy Clamy-Edroux, French elite rugby union player
- Sandra Forgues, French slalom canoeist who won Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996 and later came out as a trans woman
- Astrid Guyart, French fencer who won a team silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
- Campbell Harrison, Australian climber who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics
- Gema Hassen-Bey, five-time Paralympic wheelchair fencer from Spain who won bronze medals in 1992 and 1996
- Ola Hoftun Lillelien, Norwegian elite handball player
- Eric Mitchell, Canadian ski jumper who competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
- Gabriella Papadakis, Olympic gold-medal-winning ice dancer from France
- Marie Patouillet, French paracyclist who won gold and silver medals at the Paris Paralympics
- Pierre Rabadan, former France international rugby player and now Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of sport
- Eric Radford, Canadian figure skater who won three Olympic medals and two world titles
- Javier Raya, Spanish figure skater who competed at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics
- Marc Tur, Spanish race walker who finished fourth at Tokyo 2020 in the men’s 50km walk
- Nikki Symmons, Irish international field hockey and cricketer
- Charline Van Snick, Belgian judoka who won Olympic bronze at London 2012
A contact form is provided for inquiries, with athletes and coaches who are LGBTQ invited to get in touch.
The network offers three categories of membership — Ambassador, Role Model, and “Proud Champions Athlete” — depending on what best suits the individual.
“Members will benefit from regular in-person and online meetings, professional workshops, and a secure digital platform designed to facilitate networking and mutual support,” an announcement read.
“A dedicated directory of professionals — including doctors, psychologists and lawyers — will also be available to help athletes access trusted advice and care in a safe and non-judgmental environment.”
Former Ireland international field hockey player and cricketer Nikki Symmons is also part of the core team leading the project.
“Proud Champions is more than a network — it’s a living legacy,” said Symmons.
“It represents the courage of athletes who choose authenticity, the strength of allies who stand beside them, and the collective belief that sport can drive lasting change.”
Raya has told Outsports he is excited about the project’s potential. The 2026 Winter Olympics, now just four months away, will be the next mega-sports event to celebrate the achievements of Team LGBTQ athletes.
“It’s born from our experience during Pride House, where we saw that people really connected,” he added.
“We wanted to continue the legacy by linking it to the upcoming Pride House of Milano Cortina and also with LA in 2028. It will build momentum, continue to grow, and bring people together.”
Find out more by visiting the “Proud Champions” website.
Subscribe to the Outsports newsletter to keep up with your favorite out athletes, inspiring LGBTQ sports stories, and more.
The post Meet the out LGBTQ Olympians and elite athletes forming a new support network appeared first on Outsports.
