GUSA’ S LGBT + ROLE MODELS IN SPORT
Name: Mathew Wilkie
Year of Study: 2 nd year PhD
Subject: Biochemical engineering
Sport( s): Climbing & mountaineering, swimming, football
1. What is your greatest achievement in sport?
Completing the OMM( a 2 day mountain marathon)
2. How has being a part of a sport’ s club benefited your time at UofG?
Made friends, had fun, learnt skills, explored the highlands. Confidence building, body reclamation, mental health improvement.
3. What would you say to those who are new to sport / anxious about using the gym?
As a trans person using the gym was scary at first – especially going swimming where I might bump into someone I know. After a while I learnt that, really, no one is looking at me – they’ re focussed on their own workouts. I’ ve made friends, and learnt to reclaim my own body and see the ways it can impress me and work with me even though it often doesn’ t feel like it’ s mine. There are many sports teams out there who won’ t care about what you look like or sound like and they are worth holding out for.