Playing for Pride: 2023 Fundraising Efforts

Let's do some good.

As some of you may know, I always fundraise through my marathon training seasons to support the LGBTQ+ organizations that I love. Last time we raised $10,140! This year, while my athletic focus is shifting to tennis, my fundraising goals remain the same. Will you support me?

Throughout 2023 I will be competing in the GLTA, an international queer tennis circuit, as preparation for the 2023 Gay Games in Guadalajara this November. My journey will start in Dublin this April, then moves to Toronto, Seattle, and Philly (and tentatively NYC and DC) through the spring and summer months. My year will culminate in Mexico, where I will be playing in the world's largest and most inclusive sports and culture event.

While I have high expectations of myself on the court, the most important thing to me is using this time to raise the critical funds that organizations need to support the LGBTQ+ community.

Over the course of my training, I will be leaning on YOU – my amazing network of friends, family, and generous strangers – to help me raise these funds for organizations so dear to my heart. Let's get to know them a little bit:

Athlete Ally is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end the rampant homophobia and transphobia in sports and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality. I have been working with them since 2016 and their impact is second to none. Learn more here.

The Gay Games – the quadrennial event of The Federation of Gay Games – is the largest and most inclusive sports and culture event in the world. Built upon the core principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best, the Gay Games brings together people from all over the world for an event that leads with diversity, respect, equality, solidarity, and sharing. Learn more here.

This GoFundMe page is set up as a "personal" fundraiser because in order to allocate funds to two organizations I will need to make the donations from my personal bank account – so rest assured that every penny will be donated to these amazing queer causes (split evenly).

Every dollar donated is more impactful than you know, and seeing my community rally behind these causes will help push me through the rigors of training. Trust me, I've done this before and nothing inspires me more than knowing we are making a difference together. If you are willing, please also consider sharing this fundraiser with your own networks through social, email, text, or even in casual conversation.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

For those who don't know me, here's a little About Me

and my experience as a queer athlete:

A former division-one track athlete and two-time member of the US National Quadball team, sports have always been at the center of my life. They've provided an outlet for my competitive nature, of course, but they’ve always done so much more. As a kid, they provided structure and a place to make friends. In high school, they were a way to prove myself to others – a way of showcasing talent and finding value in myself when I was struggling with my sexual orientation. In college, they gave me community and self-confidence. And now, they’re the break I need from the hustle and fatigue of everyday life. Since hanging up my cleats in 2017, I have poured myself into tennis and marathon training, my passion for the grind as strong as ever. Many of my happiest moments have come in the heat of athletic competition, and I'm far from done.

Oddly enough, for all the good sports have brought me, they were also a source of extreme pain as a young gay man, but coming through those negative experiences only made my love of sports stronger. Growing up (and even today) I experienced and witnessed my fair share of homophobia. Even before I was out, I was a target for homophobic bullying, and I would often wonder if it was worth putting myself through. Should I keep playing? Should I move on? Lucky for me, I’ve always been a person who has used doubt and negativity to fuel my own fire, so the experiences I endured paid off in the long run. I was hungry to prove myself. If someone said I couldn’t, I would show them I could. And I did.

Now, 32 years old and unapologetic for the outspoken person I am, I want to show young athletes that they can let their passion, performance, and individuality shine. I want them to know that they are enough, no matter their orientation or identity. Visibility and representation are paramount to our community, and you never know who's watching and searching for inspiration. If I can help at least one young person realize that they have the strength and support to be themselves both on and off the field, then I will know I have done something good with my life

I was honored to join the Athlete Ally team in January 2016, becoming their first representative from Major League Quidditch. I joined the Federation of Gay Games as an ambassador in early 2021 as part of the lead-up to the Hong Kong games this fall.

To learn more visit www.kedziet.com or, to connect with me directly, please feel free to email [email redacted].