Out Gay Aussie Sport Climber Campbell Harrison Gets Closer To Olympic Dream
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Out gay Australian sport climber, Campbell Harrison won two titles at the Sport Climbing Australia national championships last month.
He won the title for the lead, where climbers climb as high as they can in a certain timeframe. He also won a title in combined, which combines a few challenges in one climb.
Harrison, 25, also a member of Australia’s national climbing team, hopes that these wins will make it more likely that he will be selected to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Harrison: I’m On The Right Track For Selection Next Year
In an interview with Outsports, Harrison spoke about his Olympic ambitions. “I definitely have big dreams to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” he said.
“I think now that the speed [discipline] has been removed from the combined format, the event better reflects what it is that we train for. Winning this event was a great first step to show that I’m on the right track for selection next year.”
Harrison hopes that he can be an example to other queer athletes, showing them that they can fully express their queer identity and still compete.
He explained, “Competing as a queer athlete, I always hope that I can show other young queer climbers that being gay doesn’t have to be a barrier to participation in sport, but we can also be the best if we set our mind to it.”
Harrison went on to share that when he was in school, “playing sport with other guys was always a bit confronting, and sometimes it felt like they didn’t take my sporting abilities seriously because I was feminine.
“I hope in my adulthood I’m showing young people that you can express your sexuality and gender identity however you like, and still show your grit and determination on the sporting field.”
Harrison: Queerness is Not a Deficit… It’s an Asset
In June 2021, Harrison wrote about his coming out journey, and his hesitation to do so, in an article for gymclimber.com.
In the article he writes, “Queerness is not a deficit that I was unfortunate to be born with, it’s an asset that both sets me apart from the crowd and connects me to so many others.
“By embracing myself as both a gay man and an athlete I have the ability to assure young people, who may be feeling the apprehension that I did, that gay people are not only all around us, but we don’t have to hide who we are to get respect.
“We come in all shapes and sizes, and the value that we have to offer to the world has no limits.”
