Sports & Equality Column 1 – September 2014 – Michael Sam

Chris has been one of the world’s leading openly gay athletes since starting his Powerlifting career at the Gay Games in 1998.

He has since gone on to win multiple mainstream British and World titles, breaking multiple British and World records in his sport.

Chris came out in his sport when there were very few openly gay athletes operating in elite sports worldwide. He quickly realised the importance, significance and the need for an openly gay athlete to be competing in International sports.

He was the first openly gay athlete in the world to win a World Championship Gold medal in his sport and his long history of competing as an openly gay athlete gives him unique perspective and views of LGBT Sports today.

See Media & Appearances page to see how Chris may be able to assist your advocacy organisation.

During his twenty six year career he has represented England and Great Britain a total of thirty five times and competed in twenty one Wold Championship Finals.

He has been World Champion ten times, European Champion five times, British Champion eighteen times and has won six Gay Games gold medals.

He has been the overall Best Lifter at the British Deadlift Championships six times in consecutive years and has also been the overall Best Lifter at the European Deadlift Championships.

He is currently the holder of multiple World and British records in the Deadlift and lifts in the GPC Federation for Team GB.

Chris has been an “International Category” referee for fifteen years and currently is licenced as a referee with Global Powerlifting Committee.

Chris is constantly working for the organisation that gave him confidence to be an openly gay athlete, as a global ambassador.

His role for the Federation of Gay Games is to inspire young gay athletes worldwide and help raise awareness of the Gay Games Scholarship Fund.

You can view Chris’s full career record by visiting his Wikipedia page in the index below.