Blake Skjellerup featured in Sydney Star Observer article

Thanks to Blake for talking about his role as Gay Games Ambassador, and for Kate Rowe for speaking to the need for more out active elite athletes to provide visibility for young people. From the Sydney Star Observer:

In 2010, New Zealand’s Olympic speed ice skater Blake Skjellerup did what few elite athletes will ever risk: he publicly came out as a gay man.

What sets Skjellerup apart from other Olympic athletes who have come out though, is that he revealed his sexuality during his career.

[...]

Two years since Skjellerup came out in an interview, he admitted he had not received any backlash or negative feedback for the move.

“The one thing that has changed is that I have a greater support base behind me in terms of people who know about me and my career,” he said.

“I think its important for anybody to just take part and feel like they can do sport. The gay community is extremely under-represented still in sport and I must admit, when I was growing up I had trouble finding someone I could relate to, not just with my sexuality but also in my sport.

“The more people who are out there being open and honest and not afraid to share who it is they are, I think the better because it’s still hard for some people to come to terms with their sexuality. If they have someone to look up to and to relate with, then it makes that journey a whole lot easier.”

Outside of training and competitions, Skjellerup is a Federation of Gay Games ambassador.

Along with Australian Olympians, diver Matthew Mitcham and cyclist Michelle Ferris, the speed skater advocates for the games and encourages people to get involved.

Kate Rowe, Australian/New Zealand ambassador manager for the Federation of Gay Games, said more athletes like Skjellerup were needed.

“For me, it’s very important that we have some younger role models because they’re the future,” she said.

The Ambassadors are not paid for their work but meet community members at events like the Midsumma Festival to stir up interest.

It would have taken a lot of courage to come out as an Olympic athlete, Rowe said, because he has not retired yet.

“With people like Blake and Matthew, who are still elite athletes, they’re almost putting their careers at risk because they know it may affect the sponsorship dollars,” she said.

“I think it is brave and the more people like Matthew and Blake who are prepared to stand up and be themselves and still want to continue in their sport, that’s how the barriers will be broken down.”

The next Gay Games will be held in 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio, making the next two years a mighty effort.

[...]

Read in full HERE.

How about a birthday gift to help Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup to Sochi?

13 June is the birthday of Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup. He's a great guy and an advocate for LGBT youth, and could use your help to fund his journey to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics. A share of donations will go to earthquake relief for his hometown of Christchurch, NZ.

Donation link : http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/blakeskjellerrupforgold

www.blakeskjellerup.com
www.facebook.com/TheBlakeSkjellerup
www.twitter.com/BlakeSkjellerup
Instagram : BlakeSkjellerup

www.orcon.net.nz
www.mightyape.co.nz
www.wisecouncil.co.nz

An update from Blake Skjellerup

Follow Blake and support his training HERE.

9 March 2012 / Good luck to Blake Skjellerup at World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Shanghai

Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup is heading to Shanghai where he'll be competing for New Zealand in the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

Check you local TV listings!

More later!

Report on Blake Skjellerup's performance in Shanghai

From Stuff.co.nz, news on Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup's performance in Shanghai. The dramatic photo is from Blake's second-place finish in the semi-finals... which gives us the opportunity to learn that it's the front of the skate that counts at the finish line, not the rest of the body.

 An injury-enforced break has led to the perfect end to the pre-Christmas speed skating season for Christchurch's Blake Skjellerup.

 The 26-year-old finished 10th in the 1000m in the latest World Cup round in Shanghai, China, finishing second in the C final.

 A fall two months ago meant four weeks' rest for Skjellerup and the result is better than he was expecting with a limited buildup, and ties his best result, achieved in 2008.

 Skjellerup has recently moved from his Calgary base to Melbourne and works with Australian national coach Ann Zhang.

 He finished fourth in his initial heat and was forced to go through the repechages which proved dramatic. A second in his first repechage race qualified the New Zealand champion and Olympian to the repechage quarterfinals. He won the slowest of four races at that stage and in the semifinals was tripped while ahead and given a pass through to the main draw with race winner Pan To Barton Lui (Hong Kong). Skjellerup then finished third in the main draw quarterfinal to reach the C final in which he came third.

Manager Matt Andree Wiltens, speaking from New Zealand, said Skjellerup was "over the moon" with his result. "Especially after the injury break," he said. "It says really great things about Blake's new training regime in Melbourne." Skjellerup will return home for a Christmas break before, funding permitting, heading to Moscow and Heerenveen (Netherlands) for the last two World Cup meets. He will then attend the World Championships in Shanghai in March.

Best wishes to Blake Skjellerup this weekend in Shanghai!

All the best to Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup who will be competing this weekend in the ISU World Cup Short Track Grand Prix event in Shanghai.

You can follow the event HERE.

Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup gains sponsor for Olympic bid

28 November 2011
Orcon to Sponsor NZ Olympic Speed-Skater

New Zealand short-track speed skater Blake Skjellerup has this month secured local internet company Orcon as a corporate sponsor of his campaign to compete at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia in 2014.

The Christchurch-born Olympian competed for New Zealand in the 2010 winter games in Vancouver, and has been seeking financial sponsorship from corporate backers and individuals since then as he trains and competes in the annual speed skating world cup competition circuit.

“Speed skating is one of the most popular of the winter Olympic sports,” explains Skjellerup “but in terms of mainstream acknowledgment it remains relatively unknown. I’m very grateful for this new partnership with Orcon which will enable me to spend more time focusing on my performance and training, and less time worrying about how to find the money I need to make it to the next Olympics.”

Orcon Chief Executive Scott Bartlett agreed, “We see a huge amount of potential in Blake to compete at the highest level and are thrilled to be a part of his campaign. Blake may not be a household name yet, but we’re confident that given the support he needs, he soon will be.”

“Our goal at Orcon is to be the best in terms of speed, precision and reliability, and Blake embodies all of those qualities. He has the spirit of a true kiwi battler taking on the world.”

This year has been a landmark one for 26-year-old Skjellerup who spent his off-season engaged in a nation-wide speaking tour of secondary schools. He was also the face of the Pink Shirt Day anti-bullying campaign, after which he was invited to meet with Prime Minister John Key to discuss bullying in New Zealand schools.

In June the Gay Auckland Business Association announced the establishment of a bank account enabling individuals to donate to Skjellerup’s Olympic campaign through his website (www.blakeskjellerup.com).

“This Orcon sponsorship means a great deal to my career as an athlete. These funds, along with those contributed through the GABA account, are a huge help. In order to make it to Sochi I will still need to raise more funds, but this is certainly a great start.”

Skjellerup’s 2011-12 season started strongly winning all three distances to take out the national title at the New Zealand Speed-Skating Championships held in Dunedin in August. He will next compete in the Skating Union World Cup held in Nagoya, Japan on December 2-4.

Best wishes to Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup at Australian championships

Best wishes to Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup as he competes tomorrow in 500 and 1500m at the 2011 Australian Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

Info HERE.

FRIDAY 7th & SATURDAY 8th OCTOBER
Medibank Icehouse, the home of Australia's Olympic short track speed katers, is set to host the fastest event on ice this year! Over two big days, see local favourites and Olympic hopefuls as they fly around the rink at tremendous speeds and jostle to become the Nation's best. Enjoy the thrills and spills of this mesmerising sport in the comfort of the Henke Rink grandstand with seating for up to 1,000 spectators.

Congrats to Blake Skjellerup for new national title!

News about new Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup, whom Sydneysiders can meet next week at a dinner where he will be welcomed by cyclist Michelle Ferris to the FGG along with diver Matthew Mitcham (info HERE). Let's all wish Blake good luck at the NZ Winter Games this weekend in Dunedin!

Skjellerup Takes National Title in Dunedin

Kiwi Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup has claimed his latest national title after a clean sweep at the New Zealand National Speed Skating Championships in Dunedin.

Skjellerup, who was New Zealand’s only speed skater at last year’s Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, won all four of his individual races in the two-day event as well as racing with his Auckland club’s relay team who also won their race.

The wins put Christchurch-born Skjellerup in good stead for the New Zealand Winter Games which are also running in Dunedin at the same time. The speed skating portion of the games begins on Saturday 27th with skaters from around the world competing.

Skjellerup said he was pleased with the results from his first competition of the season and looking forward to getting back into international competition.

“It’s always wonderful to be able to compete here at home and it felt great to be back out on the ice racing. It’s fantastic that New Zealand has the facilities to host international competitions like this and I hope people will take advantage of the fact that we have some international skaters here and come down and cheer on us locals.”

Off the ice, the openly gay athlete is heavily involved with community work including fronting the anti-bullying campaign Pink Shirt Day, conducting a nationwide diversity and acceptance tour through secondary schools, and appearing in the 2011 Red Nose Day TV commercial.

Skjellerup recently delivered the keynote address at the Human Rights Conference at the Vancouver Out Games and is next week being inducted as an ambassador to the Federation of Gay Games in Sydney.

Skjellerup is also spending time fundraising for his campaign for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia by approaching corporates, foundations and asking individuals to donate through his website www.blakeskjellerup.com.

Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup back home to compete

After speaking at the 2nd North American Outgames human rights conference (and taking a medal in the 5K road race) new Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup is heading home to New Zealand to compete in two events in Dunedin: the national speed skating championships on 25-26 August, and straight after that the New Zealand Winter Games, where he'll be skating on 27-28 August.

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About the NZWG:

The 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games is unique in the world of winter sports. The concept was an initiative of Sir Eion Edgar.

First held in 2009, the Winter Games NZ is an elite, international winter sports competition, owned and run by the Winter Games New Zealand Trust with the support of the New Zealand Government, the New Zealand Olympic Committee and SPARC.

The Games were established to provide elite winter sports athletes with the opportunity to push the boundaries without the pressure to produce the perfect performance as in the Winter Olympics or the Winter X Games. It provides the ultimate testing ground where the athletes can experiment and explore their limits against world class competition.

Another unique factor for the 2009 Games was that all of Otago was involved - Queenstown, Wanaka, Naseby and Dunedin.

The Games Board set four clear objectives for these first Winter Games in 2009:
1. To attract 800 competitors and 400 supporters/team management to the Games
2. To successfully host a Winter Games NZ at an international level as per the requirements of the relevant international sports bodies.
3. To obtain an international television audience reach of 300 million primarily in New Zealand's target tourism markets.
4. To financially at least break even.

Not only were all four objectives met but the quality of the competitors competing exceeded all expectations and, significantly, the international media profile was excellent.

Support Blake Skjellerup when he skates in Sheffield!

Our favorite speed skate, New Zealand's Blake Skjellerup, will be competing in the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sheffield, England (website HERE), from 11 to 13 March.

He tells us he would be delighted to find supporters there... waving rainbow flags if they can! Blake is a fine athlete and an outspoken advocate for LGBT athletes, and we encourage our British readers to come out and wave the flag for Blake!