Mark Tewksbury, honoured member at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, visited a new exhibit at the museum on July 9 which showcases 2SLGBTQ+ inductees who've paved the way for future generations. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

true to you in sport

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductee Mark Tewksbury visits new 2SLGBTQ+ exhibit

Jul 10, 2021 | 12:13 PM

2SLGBTQ+ athletes are being recognized at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

True to You in Sport, the Hall’s latest exhibit, is expected to stay up for six months.

It focuses on four Hall inductees, including Danielle Peers (2008-wheelchair basketball), Kessie Stefanyk (2015-rugby), Keely Brown (2018-ringette) and Mark Tewksbury (1993-swimming).

Tewksbury, Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100 metre backstroke at Barcelona 1992, came out as gay in 1998, five years after his illustrious competitive career. He stopped in at the Hall on Friday to see the exhibit’s debut.

A Calgary native, the three-time Olympic medalist admitted it was actually his first time at the Hall. Now 53, Tewksbury said the honour of being inducted has taken on more meaning with age.

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“First off, to see myself in this company is special, plus I’m more in the legacy part of my life and that’s what being a hall of famer really means to me,” said Tewksbury, now vice president of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s board of directors.

Alongside his partner Rob, Mark Tewksbury checks out the three Olympic medals he’s loaned to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, along with the Speedo he wore when he won gold in the 100m backstroke in Barcelona. (Alberta Sports Hall of Fame)

“This kind of exhibit is rare to see, and it’s very touching. Walking in and there I am, it’s kind of surreal. When I was inducted, I was deeply closeted and I didn’t want anybody to know I was gay because I was terrified of what would happen to my life. So it’s very rewarding, encouraging and inspiring for me to think about the next generation coming to see this.”

Tewksbury did face struggles after coming out, including the loss of a hefty contract as a motivational speaker.

Visiting the Hall with partner Rob, Tewksbury says the True to You exhibit can help normalize things.

“When we talk about inclusion and human rights, people just want to be treated equally, not more. We’ve always just wanted to be part of the conversation,” he says.

Exhibit creator and Collections and Exhibit Coordinator Breanna Suk notes it’s the first of its kind at the museum.

“There’s been a lot of improvement in sport for women and men, but you don’t hear a lot about the struggles of athletes who don’t fit into the nice little box we put pro athletes into,” says Suk.

“You don’t hear the stories of the ones who dealt with additional discrimination from teammates and coaches because of their sexuality. Those stories need telling and people need to be aware of the amazing athletes and builders we have out there who are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and who are there to support the next generation.

Breanna Suk with the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, spent many months putting ‘True to You in Sport’ together. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“You can be an Olympic gold medalist and be true to who you really are without having to hide a huge aspect of your life,” Suk emphasizes.

Tewksbury mentions Carl Nassib, an offensive lineman with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, who announced last month that he’s gay, a first for an active NFL player.

“I think if an NHL star said ‘Hey, believe it or not, I’m part of this community,’ it would take us to a place where being gay becomes a non-issue. It would be a huge deal, but we’re not there yet,” he says.

“Society’s a lot further ahead than sport. The million dollar question is why’s it taken this long? I’d love to ask Carl what needed to be true to do what he did. But also, with culture in mind, what will it take to see it happen in basketball, baseball or hockey?”

Tewksbury’s also proud of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s commitment to adding sexual orientation to its charter, and the creation of the One Team program.

A partnership with You Can Play and Egale Canada, One Team is designed to fight gender-based discrimination, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and other hate.

Asked how his home province has changed its attitude toward 2SLGBTQ+ folx, Tewksbury believes things are constantly improving.

“I’ve changed a lot to the point I don’t care as much and I’m not looking at the world from the outside in. I used to be obsessed with what people were thinking, but not anymore. Sadly, the world is very divisive, and sexuality and gender expression sometimes fall between those fault lines, which is one of the biggest remaining challenges,” he says.

“To 2SLGBTQ+ youth out there, I felt at one point that I was the only person in the world who was the way I am, and that if I spoke honestly about it, I might lose everything. Yet here I am being celebrated for that very thing. I promise it gets better, so find an ally who believes in you, stick with them and together you can face anything.”

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is open 9-5 Monday to Friday and 10-5 on weekends.