The LGBT Sport Podcast

She spent nearly two decades as one of Britain's top field athletes, competing at multiple World, Commonwealth and European championships - as well as the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

After she put down her javelin, Shelley Holroyd turned her attention to helping young athletes and para-athletes achieve their full potential as a coach – and now, she's part of the team behind the Athletics Pride Network, which supports gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the sport.

She’s a cracking guest to have on the podcast this week – and we talked about an awful lot in this episode.

From the unusual way she got her start in athletics to the dramatic incident that almost ended her career for good; her experiences as an LGBTQ+ person in athletics, including some of the discrimination she faced along the way; the difference that the Athletics Pride Network would have had when she was competing; and her transition from competing to coaching … yeah, there’s an awful lot to enjoy here.

We’re so lucky to have had such a brilliant guest like Shelley, and we think you’ll like her as much as we did.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Professional wrestling is a unique form of entertainment - and to succeed in it, you need a unique set of skills.

Charisma, athleticism and - you would think - a certain macho toughness. But for UK star Cassius, wrestling was actually the place where he learned to embrace his inner femininity, and accept who he really is.

And now, he's using those traits to make an impact, inside and outside the ring – and over the course of this conversation, you’ll hear about how he’s making that happen, and inspiring other LGBTQ+ people in the process.

This chat has everything – how Cassius got his love of pro wrestling; the development of his in-ring skills and persona; how wrestling helped him become his authentic self and the growing number of out LGBTQ+ stars making a name for themselves in the industry; and his most memorable moment inside the ring.

Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, you’re going to love this conversation with an absolute fascinating young man, and we hope you give it a listen.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

For many people, Formula 1 offers the ultimate glamorous lifestyle.

Fast cars, exotic places, exciting races - what's not to love?!

For many years, Matt Bishop was right at the heart of the sport - first as a journalist reporting on the action, then as the PR chief for the McLaren team - and he was at one point, in his own words, 'the only gay in the F1 village'.

Matt's now the communications director for the innovative W Series, and has just published his first novel (‘The Boy Made The Difference’) set in the time of the HIV/AIDS crisis in London in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

He’s an amazing guest on the podcast this week, and we really enjoyed our conversation. It focuses on all sorts of topics – where Matt’s love of motorsport came from; his time as a journalist in the glamorous world of F1; the inspiration behind ‘The Boy Made The Difference’ and the drive that made Matt write it; and his experiences as an LGBTQ+ person in motorsports in general.

It’s a powerful episode, this one, which we think will make you smile, think and laugh – and we’re really grateful Matt took the time to join us.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SHOW?

From the Olympics to the European Championships, 2021 is shaping up to be a huge year for sport.

And in Birmingham, fans are counting down until the end of April when the city will host the Union Cup - Europe's largest inclusive rugby tournament.

Teams from across the continent will take part in the event, so it seemed appropriate to make this episode about two of the people who have helped to make it happen.

Alistair Burford is the tournament director, and David Cumpston - or Fifi, as he's also known - is the chairman of the Birmingham Bulls - the club that will be hosting the tournament.

This is a cracking conversation about all sorts of different things – from the founding of the Bulls to the attitude of the sides they play; the importance of inclusivity in rugby, and sport as a space where people can be themselves; the process behind bidding for the Union Cup and how COVID-19 may impact on things; and how folks in the Birmingham area can get involved in making it a success.

Oh, and Eurovision also comes up, for reasons we still don't quite understand!

David and Alistair are two brilliant guests, and we really think you’re going to like hearing from them.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SHOW?

Emma Wiggs is one of those truly extraordinary athletes that come along very rarely in life.

The para-canoeist is a five-time European champion, a seven-time World Champion and the reigning Paralympic champion after taking gold in Rio four years ago. She's been made an MBE for her services to the sport - and as if that wasn't impressive enough, she also represented Para GB in the sitting volleyball at London 2012.

Emma wasn't born with a disability, and only began para-sports after being struck by a mystery virus while on a gap year in Australia.

She's a fantastic guest who we could have spent forever chatting with. But in the time we had together, we managed to squeeze in so much - from Emma's love of sport to adapting to life with a disability; what pushed her to become a Paralympian and then change discipline; her successes in paracanoe and the postponement of the Tokyo Paralympics ... honestly, the list goes on and on.

We really, really think you'll like this episode - as we certainly loved chatting with Emma.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

You probably wouldn’t expect a former England rugby player to be leading research into the physical and mental impact of coronavirus in the UK.

But then again, Zoe Saynor’s career has never really been done by the book.

Zoe is a fantastic guest, talking about getting her start in the game (which came relatively late compared to others); who helped to develop and nurture her as a player; her memories of her England call-up; her research during lockdown, and balancing her academic and sporting careers (including the pressure of achieving her PhD); her experiences of being a gay woman in rugby; and helping to break down stereotypes in the game.

We feel really lucky to have had the chance to sit down with Zoe and look back at her amazing career, and we hope you like this episode as much as we do.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

There've been plenty of bike-rides from Lands End to John O'Groats, but this one is truly unique.

Paeton McGuire and their son Callum are preparing to cycle the 1000 kilometre route later this month in what's being billed as the 'Tour De Trans' - an event designed to raise awareness of the issues facing transgender people across the UK.

It’s one heck of a journey – and ‘journey’ is probably the best word to describe what Paeton has been going through over the past few weeks, months and years.

In this extraordinary episode, you’ll hear Paeton talk about their love of cycling; how they qualified as a British Cycling coach; their struggle to come to terms with their own identity; the realisation and acceptance that they were non-binary just as lockdown began to hit; the inspiration behind the Tour De Trans; and what they hope it’ll achieve.

This isn’t always an easy listen as Paeton describes what they’ve been through, but the message that comes through at the end is one of hope, love and acceptance. We really hope you enjoy it.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

Natalie Washington can still remember how it felt to score her first goal back on the pitch after around two years away from the beautiful game.

It was a special moment for her - not least because the last time Natalie was playing, it was in the men's leagues.

She's a fascinating guest on the podcast this week, as she shares her story of what it's like to be a trans-woman in football and so much more besides.

There’s loads to chat about – from where Natalie’s love of sport came from; her transition and what inspired her to come back to the beautiful game; her views on the portrayal of the trans community in sport; and what pivotal event rekindled her love of football.

We’re really grateful to Natalie for taking the time to chat in such an honest and open manner - so we hope you give this episode a listen.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SHOW?

Saturday 25th July is shaping up to be a big day on the footballing calendar.

Players, coaches, supporters groups and fans are coming together for Football Pride - an online event celebrating inclusive football culture.

The day of events includes everything from coaching and player panels to an online FIFA tournament, and Samuel Timms is one of the people who has helped to make it happen.

He's joining us for this special bonus episode of the podcast looking ahead to this Saturday's event, from how it came about (it involves Zoom calls and G and Ts!) and what he and the other organisers hope it'll achieve.

We also look at Samuel's love of football; how he and partner Gary Ginnaw founded Charlton Invicta; starting the Villa and Proud supporters group - there's bucketloads of good stuff in this episode that we think you'll really like.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

You could call Sue Day a trailblazer - but honestly, that'd hardly do her justice.

Away from the pitch, she's been just as impressive - becoming the first female president of Wasps, and in her current role as the Chief Financial Officer of the RFU, is one of the most senior people in the governance of the English game.

She’s a brilliant guest and there’s so much to enjoy in this conversation – from the unusual way Sue got her start in rugby; the highs of her international career; the evolution of women’s sport (in terms of funding and support); her experiences of being LGBTQ+ in rugby and what the game does right; and how she manages to switch off away from rugby.

Sue is fantastic – and we really think you’ll like this episode.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?

PHOTO CREDIT: The RFU