The LGBT Sport Podcast

When it comes to the ice, Conor McDermott-Mostowy is fast – like, really fast!

A national speed-skating champion and a member of US Speedskating who has won medals across the world, the American knows all about what it takes to compete at the top-level – and how to do it while balancing his sport with a university degree.

Conor came out publicly in 2021 – and now he’s here with us on the podcast to talk more about his sporting career and his journey with his sexuality.

We talk about all sorts of things in this episode – including some of his most memorable moments from the past season, how it feels when everything is just clicking on the ice, representing Team USA, coming out, looking up to Gus Kenworthy and others – and loads, loads more.

Conor may be one of the most laid-back guys we’ve ever had on the podcast - and we love this chat, and think you will as well!

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You may well have seen Nick Ransom reporting on Sky, ITV, BBC and plenty of other outlets – covering everything from the footballing stories of Afghan refugees to LGBTQ+ representation in the media.

He’s also worked as a producer, bringing together content for events like the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Wimbledon, the Euros and more – basically, this is someone who lives and breathes sport.

It’s no real surprise that Nick ended up on telly – in fact, he basically spent his childhood banging out reports for anyone who would watch, honing the skills that would eventually take him into the industry.

And on a podcast that is all about representation, Nick is here not just to talk about being authentic as a member of the LGBTQ+ community – but also about his experiences as someone who is autistic, and who is passionate about spotlighting neurodivergent individuals on-screen as well.

So, loads to get into in this conversation with Nick – from his love of sport to his autistic experience to bringing all of his authentic self to the screen, to the stories he’s telling and championing as part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week across BBC Sport!

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Big games deserve the big build – and that’s what John Reavey does when it comes to the Premier League.

The director and creative producer is responsible for some of the video packages that you’ve seen hyping a number of the beautiful game’s massive matches – including the Manchester Derby and the start of the new season.

It’s not just there that you’ll have seen his work either – from a West Ham kit launch to Anita Asante’s retirement to a documentary on out gay footballers, John has spent years combining his love of film with his love of football.

And when he’s not capturing the game on screen, he’s playing as a member of the London Titans side in the GFSN – and he’s an absolutely brilliant guest on the podcast today.

There’s loads in this episode that is absolutely fascinating – the joy of storytelling, the importance of visibility, combing sport and LGBTQ+ identity, plus how a story from John’s past inspired both an incredibly powerful short film and the next thing that he’ll be working on.

This is a cracking listen, and we really think you’re going to love it!

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We feature professional wrestling on the podcast a lot – but this is only the second time that we’re speaking to someone from the world of freestyle wrestling.

And honestly, what better way to do it than with Samantha Stewart?!

The Canadian is a multiple-time medallist and a Pan-American champion who has been involved in the sport for more than twenty years – and has seen it take her right around the world.

There’s a world championship bronze at Oslo in her trophy cabinet from 2021, along with a silver from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham a year later as well.

And having just come back from the Pan-American Games, we couldn’t have picked a better time to speak to this amazing athlete – who is an absolute gem of a guest, she really is.

Finding your sport, finding your identity, pushing boundaries and making memories – it’s all in this conversation which is an absolute joy with a guest who we wished we’d had on years ago!

But we’re making up for lost time with this episode, and we hope you love hearing it as much as we loved making it.

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‘It’s my church’ – that’s how Lucy Clark has previously described her love of football, and the meaning that she attaches to her involvement with the beautiful game.

Her appointment at the end of January as the new manager at Sutton United Women was therefore not just a moment of personal achievement, but a landmark for the game as well – with Clark becoming the first transgender woman to manage in the top five divisions of the UK women’s game, just years after she became the football’s first transgender referee.

And honestly, this is an amazing conversation with an individual who lives and breathes the beautiful game – in fact, when we tried to get Lucy to talk about anything other than football, it turns out she absolutely couldn’t do it!

We talk about Lucy’s love of the game growing up, coaching, refereeing, her return to management – and her personal journey as she discovered her authentic self and found a way to bring that to the beautiful game as well.

It’s a conversation that is genuine, uplifting, fun and everything you could want from a guest – and we’re massively grateful that Lucy took the time to join us for this chat.

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When Robbie Manson announced that he was hanging up his oars ahead of the Tokyo Games, he’d already achieved a bucket-load of amazing sporting achievements.

The New Zealander had competed at back-to-back Olympics in London and Rio, had secured a spot for Tokyo – and, with multiple World Rowing Cups and a World Rowing Championship bronze medal in 2015 under his belt, no-one would have blamed him for wanting to do something new.

But as much as he enjoyed coaching, something about the sport kept pulling him back – and, after returning to full time competition, Robbie has earned himself a spot at the Paris Olympics in just a few months from now.

So, we needed no further excuse to get Robbie on the podcast than that to talk all about his amazing journey and this is a fascinating conversation.

It’s considered, it’s powerful, it’s never anything less than real – and we’re really grateful for Robbie for making the time to join us for it.

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If you were watching professional wrestling in the mid-2010s, you’d have seen Gabbi Tuft in action – where she was better known as WWE superstar Tyler Reks.

There were matches at the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, appearances on many of the WWE’s flagship shows – but it was only when wrestling came to an end that Tuft was able to become her authentic self as a trans woman.

She shared her story publicly in 2021 – and one look at her Instagram now shows Gabbi sharing her love for fitness, and teasing, potentially, a return to wrestling as well.

Hundreds of thousands of people follow Gabbi across all her platforms, and this is a chance to have a conversation with someone that we think you’re going to love.

If you love wrestling, you’ll love the stories about Dusty Rhodes and working with the Undertaker and how the business makes Gabbi feel – along with why she’s got the itch to return.

And if wrestling isn’t your thing, there’s still so much in this conversation for you – as Gabbi talks openly and authentically about the journey she’s been on discovering her true self, and sharing that truth with both herself and the world.

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For as long as Chris Paouros can remember, she’s been a proud supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

But while she’s always loved her football team, she’s not always been sure that football has loved her back – which is why she’s spent years trying to transform the game into somewhere that everyone feels welcome.

Her CV is formidable enough – a vice-chair and trustee at Kick It Out, a Board Member at the Football Supporters’ Association, a Supporters Representative on the FA Council, and the co-chair and co-founder of Proud Lilywhites, to name just a few.

She’s also a brilliant talker and a fantastic guest to have with us on the podcast, as we talk about her love of football and her desire to change it for the better in whatever way she can.

There’s so much in this conversation with Chris – where that love of Spurs comes from, her drive to open the game up to everyone, some of her proudest achievements with Proud Lilywhites, where the game goes next, even some cheeky film recommendations as well – and it’s a cracker with one of our favourites on the pod.

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Take a look at the CV of Jason Webber, and you’ll see that a passion for equality and diversity is burned into everything does.

For more than a decade, he was a campaign co-ordinator with Show Racism the Red Card – and since 2020, he’s been a key part of trying to make the beautiful game something for everyone in Wales as the senior EDI Manager at the Football Association of Wales.

That love of the beautiful game runs deep in this man – with stints as an Academy Coach at Cardiff City and Merthyr Town alongside his EDI work.

And now, it’s part of a commitment that runs through him to open up football to people who have traditionally felt the game isn’t for them.

So, that’s what we talk about in this episode – everything from starting Wales’ first LGBTQ+ supporters group for the national team, some of the challenges that still exist in the game, what to say to people who say football shouldn’t be ‘political’ – honestly, it’s a fascinating chat that we think you’ll love.

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If there’s anyone who knows about what it takes to make football inclusive, it’s James Laley.

As the founder of Rainbow Blades, he’s helped embed diversity in the heart of what Sheffield United does, and it’s not just us saying that either – as James has been recognised not once but twice as this year’s Football v Homophobia Awards.

So, we felt it was the perfect time to get James onto the podcast to talk about his journey in football, and the difference he’s making in the beautiful game.

We chat about how he discovered Sheffield United at university and fell in love with the club; about the incident that led to him starting Rainbow Blades (and how in some ways, the timing couldn’t have been worse); about the way it’s been embraced by the club; about some of the challenges and goals for the future – and being recognised by the Football v Homophobia Awards in two different categories this year.

It’s a cracking conversation with someone who just exudes positivity, and we think you’ll love it!

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