Out Gay Aussie Sport Climber Campbell Harrison Qualifies For The Olympics
Image: Campbell Harrison Instagram
Out gay Australian sport climber, Campbell Harrison has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to Olympics.com, Harrison, 26, won the men’s Boulder and Lead Olympic qualifier competition. His score of 154.1 sent him from third to the first place.
‘I’m Going To The Olympics’
In a post to social media, Harrison shared, “The only way I can truly express how I felt in this moment is by showing it to you. This was the culmination of more than a decade of blood, sweat, tears, and utter heartbreak. The pressure I felt going into this final was physically painful, to the point where I didn’t know that I could stand it.
“Coming into the Lead round, with everything on the line, I completely disappeared within myself and just climbed. The part of me that erupted at the top of the wall was pain, fury, joy, and pride. I cried like I’ve never cried before, because this accomplishment is of a magnitude I could never truly comprehend. I’m going to the Olympics.”
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‘I Definitely Have Big Dreams to Qualify For The 2024 Paris Olympics’
In November 2022, Harrison won two titles at the Sport Climbing Australia national championships.
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.
In an interview with Outsports at the time, 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.”
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Hopes To Be Example To Queer Athletes
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.”
Coming Out
In June 2021, Harrison wrote about his coming out journey, and his hesitation to do so, in an article for gymclimber.com.
He wrote, “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.”
