IGLA CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDIA PACK 20 - 25 February | melbourne2020.org

Summer Together Down Under Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Summary

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Sports Social Registrants Countries Ambassadors Events Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships What’s Happening?

Melbourne2020 Inc. is a not for profit organisation founded for the sole purpose of hosting the International Gay and Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, Australia in 2020. A team of Melbourne based swimmers and waterpolo players pitched to host the IGLA championships during the Paris in 2018 and won. The host clubs for this event are The Glamourhead Sharks Swimming Club and Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club, two of Melbourne’s LGBT+ sporting clubs encouraging diversity, fitness, competition and fun.

This is a championship for all; we celebrate:

Diversity All Ages (18-90) All Abilities

Community Health Fun

After months of planning, the Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships will commence on 20 February, 2020 and conclude on 25 February, 2020. The championship will be held at Melbourne’s premier aquatics sporting facility – the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), which has been home to many international aquatics and sporting events. Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships IGLA Championship History The IGLA Championships have been held every year since 1987 in various cities in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the first time that the IGLA Championships have been held in Australia as a standalone event. See below for a view of the IGLA location history. Every four years, IGLA is held as a subset of the Gay Games. IGLA Championships Gay Games + IGLA 1987 1988 1989 1990 San Diego, California San Diego, California Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia 1991 1992 1993 1994 Los Angeles, California Seattle, Washington Chicago, Illinois New York, New York 1995 1996 1997 1998 Montreal, Québec Washington, D.C. San Diego, California Amsterdam, Netherlands 1999 2000 2001 2002 Atlanta, Georgia Paris, France Toronto, Ontario Sydney, Australia 2003 2004 2005 2006 San Francisco, California Fort Lauderdale, Florida Atlanta, Georgia Chicago, Illinois

2007 2008 2009 2010 Paris, France Washington, D.C. Copenhagen, Denmark Cologne, Germany 2011 2012 2013 2014 Honolulu, Hawaii Reykjavík, Iceland Seattle, Washington Cleveland, Ohio 2015 2016 2017 2018 Stockholm, Sweden Edmonton, Alberta Miami, Florida Paris, France 2019 2020 2021 Melbourne, Australia Salt Lake City, Utah Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Competition Sports

Melbourne2020 will host 6 sports: Swimming, Water Polo, Diving, Artistic Swimming, Open Water Swimming and our beloved Pink Flamingo – an artistic swimming, musical, dancing mixed team sport not to be missed! A breakdown of our registrations is below:

Swimming | 406

Water Polo | 249

Open Water | 83

Artistic Swimming | 22

Diving | 5

Pink Flamingo | 12 teams

The theme for Pink Flamingo this year is ‘Divas Down Under’ encouraging participants to use local Australian acts in their performances – the show will delight, entertain and educate the audience allthewhile incorporating an element of aquatics involvement. A spectacle not to be missed. Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Host Clubs

Caleb Hawk President, Melbourne Surge Waterpolo

What is your fondest memory of your club? Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club continues to be among the fastest Every year our club marches alongside Sydney in Mardi Gras, but this year took growing water polo clubs in Australia and one of the oldest LGBTI water polo on extra meaning for us as we marched. I was incredibly proud of our club’s in the country. Based in the heart of Melbourne, Surge is proud to offer a comradery and conviction in celebrating our diversity and pride that night. safe and inclusive environment for competitive and social players alike from across our LGBTIQ communities. What are you most looking forward to about Melbourne2020? After having travelled to both Europe and North America for water polo With IGLA 2020 coming to Melbourne, Surge is excited to welcome LGBTIQ competitions, I’m really looking forward having so many players finally come athletes from across the globe as they touch down in Australia in February 2020. down to Australia. What can I say? We’re really keen to host. Since the club’s start in the lead up to the 2002 Gay Games, Surge now enters five Tell us one Melbourne secret you want to share with the world competitive teams in Water Polo Victoria’s State League Championships as well as Usually tourists think you have to travel down to Phillip Island to see fairy recreational and competitive teams in interstate and international competitions. penguins come out of the ocean, but if you head down to the end of the pier With a longstanding dedication to inclusion in sport, Surge’s annual Rookies in St Kilda there’s a small penguin colony there and you can see the penguins program introduces dozens of LGBTIQ community members to water polo every come out of the water just after sunset. year. Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Host Clubs

Brendan Knox President, Glamourhead Sharks Swimming Established in 2001 by a group of swimmers interested in attending the 2002 Gay What is your fondest memory of your club? There are so many great memories from my international travels with the Games, The Glamourhead Sharks have since grown into one of Melbourne’s Glams, I couldn't choose just one. But the friendships I’ve built and the largest masters swimming clubs. Competing at local, national and international experiences I’ve had overseas while with the Glams have been unforgettable. events we aim to provide an environment for LGBTI swimmers and their friends to participate in competitive and fitness swimming. We are extremely pleased to be What are you most looking forward to about Melbourne2020? supporting Melbourne2020 and being the host club for the swimming component February in Melbourne really is the best time to welcome international of Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships and look forward to welcoming all our visitors. I’m looking forward to sharing those long hot summer days that last visitors to Melbourne. well into the evening. Our Aims Are: • To provide an encouraging and supportive environment for swimmers of all Tell us one Melbourne secret you want to share with the world abilities to improve their fitness and swimming skills, have fun and develop The Yarra River is the place to be at sunset. Specifically, one of the riverside friendships. bars like Arbory or Ponyfish Island which is actually in the middle of the river! • To present a positive image of the GLBTIQ community through attendance in local, interstate and international Masters swimming meets. • To support swimmers in competing to their full potential in Masters and open water swimming competition. Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Ambassadors - Swimming (AU)

Bio: Daniel Kowalski OAM is a dual Olympian (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000) with a swathe of Olympic, Commonwealth, Pan Pacific and World Championship medals to his name. Kowalski was part of the gold medal winning 4 X 200m relay team at the Sydney Olympics, an event that he and his teammates set a world record for two years earlier at the Commonwealth Games. Known widely for his abilities in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle, at the 1996 Olympics Kowalski was the first man in 92 years to win medals across each of the 200, 400 and 1500m freestyle events. Kowalski is currently the Olympian Services Manager at the Australian Olympic Committee and most recently competed with the Sydney Wett Ones at IGLA2019 in New York.

Dan Kowalski What it means being an IGLA Ambassador: “IGLA provides an event where members of our community can take part in something they enjoy in a safe and inclusive environment. IGLA also serves as an opportunity to continue to educate the wider community and assist in breaking down barriers when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community.” -Daniel Kowalski Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Ambassadors - Swimming (US)

Bio Tom Luchsinger is the 2013 USA Swimming National Champion in the 200M Butterfly. He attended the 2013 FINA World Championships finishing 5th in the event. He graduated from The University of North Carolina with a degree in Exercise & Sport Science. While at North Carolina, Tom was a 10 time All American, 12 time Atlantic Coast Conference medallist, and a five time Atlantic Coast Conference Champion. Tom was one of the first openly gay USA Swimming National Team members, coming out while competing in 2014 following a challenging first year as a professional athlete. Tom is the current Team Manager for Team New York Aquatics (TNYA) in New York City. He works in fundraising for , and teaches swim clinics in addition to his responsibilities with TNYA.

What it means being an IGLA Ambassador Tom Luchsinger “Growing up, there were two words that in my mind had always conflicted; athlete and gay. As a closeted high acheiving athlete, it was as if these two descriptions were constantly in conflict—I could not be both. By hosting, competing and supporting meets like IGLA, we are challenging these stereotypes and hopefully making sports a more inclusive environment” - Tom Luchsinger Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Ambassadors – Water Polo (AU)

Bio Emily Scott is a 27 year old queer women from Sydney who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science and now works as a management consultant. She is also the CEO of Out for Australia, a volunteer not-for-profit that supports and mentors aspiring LGBTIQ professionals. Emily played seven seasons in the Australian water polo national league (including a silver medal in 2015), one season for the University of Hawaii and represented Australia at the under-18 and under-20 World Championships. Emily was instrumental in setting up the women’s program at the Sydney Stingers water polo club in 2018 and was proud to play with the Stingers in the competitive division at the 2018 World Gay Games in Paris. Emily is passionate about inclusion of LGBTIQ women both in and out of the sporting field and is looking forward to seeing high participation rates of LGBTIQ women at Melbourne 2020.

Emily Scott What it means being an IGLA Ambassador “Waterpolo is the best sport in the world. I'm proud to be a Melbourne2020 ambassador and the opportunity to give back to the sport that has brought me immense joy, strength and friendships.” - Emily Scott Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Ambassadors – Diving (AU)

Bio Mathew Helm is a three time Olympian (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008) and has achieved medals in Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth competition, including two gold medals at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games at the very pool that will be used for IGLA 2020! Helm's individual 10m platform silver medal at the Athens Olympics was the first individual diving medal by an Australian male in 84 years. Now a diving coach with the West Australian Institute of Sport, Mat has also begun playing hockey with Perth’s LGBTIQ team the Pythons.

What it means being an IGLA Ambassador “I think I have been really fortunate to have grown up, and compete in a sport where Mathew Helm being gay was widely accepted, so I always felt that I belonged, and I didn’t need to hide who I was, or my sexual identity. I believe that having a gay and lesbian aquatics championships is an opportunity for athletes, or anyone wanting to get involved in aquatic sports, to train and compete in an environment that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, acceptance and tolerance.” - Mathew Helm Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Thur 20 February Fri 21 Feb Sat 22 February Sat 22 February Sun 23 February Opening night movie and Social drinks at The IGLA Opening Ceremony Official Party Sponsor, QOTP drag night and welcome drinks Emerson at MSAC Poof Doof club night party at Sircuit

Sun 23 February Sun 23 February Mon 24 February Tue 25 February Wed 26 February Dinner – celebrating AFLW Match – big group French Picnic at Queen Closing Beach Sunset Wildlife and Winery women in sport attendance at Ikon Park Victoria Park Party Excursion Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Time: 6:30pm Venue: Cinema NOVA, Lygon Street, Carlton

To celebrate the start of Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Summer Together Down Under and in association with Melbourne Queer Film Festival, come along to our OPENING NIGHT FILM AND WELCOME DRINKS. Meet other IGLA competitors, enjoy a screening of a queer movie at one of biggest independent cinemas in the southern hemisphere. Then, mingle over some drinks at a locally loved Melbourne rooftop Thur 20 February bar. Opening night movie and Get your tickets via melbourne2020.square.site – look for Thursday Opening Night - Movie Night Tickets welcome drinks

Time: Friday, 21 February 7:30pm Venue: The Emerson, 143-145 Commercial Rd, South Yarra, Prahran, Victoria

Social drinks are planned on the Friday at the gorgeous Emerson Rooftop Bar and Club for an elegant and casual night on the town. Check out the Facebook event here.

Fri 21 Feb Social drinks at The Emerson Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Time: Saturday, 22 February 11am – 11:30am Venue: Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre

A big welcome to all who have travelled far and wide to join in the Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships. Join us on for the official Opening Ceremony on Saturday 22 February at 11am at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre to celebrate the start of our Summer Together Down Under.

Sat 22 February Enjoy entertainment to delight your senses, welcome address from officials and noteworthy speakers to welcome all to the championships. We are hoping to see you all pool side for this opening ceremony to join IGLA Opening Ceremony in the celebration. Free to join, just come along. at MSAC

Time: 10:30pm – 6am Venue: Chasers Venue, 386 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141 Tickets: Get tickets through EventBrite here.

What better way to let off some steam after going hard in the pool than to doof with your fellow poof! IGLA's premier party sponsor - poof doof - are a delivering a rave after the waves with the legendary john course headlining the party on 22nd february! With the IGLA championships in full swing and sydney gay Sat 22 February and lesbian mardi gras just one week away, poof doof are sending their doofers and the IGLA crew off Official Party Sponsor, with a bang! John course is joined by international super star dj bride [swe] and local champs jive wilson and javi morley delivering the best in house and tech. Pop fans never fear - snap crackle pop upstairs will Poof Doof club night be poppin' off with DJ Jason Conti, duchess kay and a very special performance by bathsheba! Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Time: 8PM til late. Venue: Sircuit, 103-105 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Victoria

Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships will host a drag night to bedazzle the Melbourne stage and entertain our competitors, friends and spectators. We can't have IGLA without the famous Drag Amateur Night! Whether you a seasoned queen/king on stage, or just fresh fish in the Melbourne Bay, showcase your entertaining skills. This ticketed event is FREE for Melbourne2020 IGLA participants. You can find Sun 23 February more information about the event at the links below. Usual entry price for non-IGLA participants will QOTP drag night and remain to be purchased at the door on the night. Cost: Melbourne2020 IGLA Competitors (Free at melbourne2020.square.site ), General Public / non- party competitors: Sircuit entry price (~$20)

Time: Monday, 24 February 7:30pm Venue: ‘M Pavillion’ at Queen Victoria Gardens. Opposite the Arts Centre on St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

‘The French Rendevouz – Be French Your Own Way’. This French-themed evening celebrates the friendship in the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatic (IGLA) LGBTQ+ community. Come dressed up in your best french-wear and celebrate with Melbourne2020 IGLA community for a pic-nic in the park with apéritifs, musique et amusement *chef kiss* Check out the Facebook event here. Mon 24 February French Picnic at Queen Victoria Gardens Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Time: 2:15pm – 5:30pm Venue: Ikon Park, Royal Parade, Carlton North VIC 3054

As part of the Melbourne2020 IGLA Women's Events series, join a group of us at the Australian Rules Football Women's League to see Richmond take on North Melbourne. On the Day, meet at 2:15pm in front of the Entrance Gate at IKON Park, as there will likely be a big group attending, we will want to sit together so please arrive early. Sun 23 February AFLW Match – Richmond Since the sound of that first siren in 2017, AFLW has unearthed a whole new footy community. It’s all ages, all ethnicities, all abilities, all genders. It’s more than the game itself. It’s kids growing up unaware vs. North Melbourne that footy wasn’t always for girls. Check out the Facebook Event here.

Time: 6pm - 8pm Venue: Il Gambero, Lygon Street, Carlton

As part of the Melbourne2020 IGLA Women's Events series, join a group of us at the official Women's Dinner and drink after an AFLW match on the Sunday afternoon during the IGLA Championships.

Meet with like-minded people in honour of women in sport – Our Melbourne2020 registrants come from Sun 23 February around the world, this dinner is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements and love of women in Dinner – celebrating sport united across country borders. women in sport Book your spot at the table at our booking site melbourne2020.square.site Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our All Inclusive Social Events

Time: 6:30pm – 11:30pm Venue: West Beach Bathers Pavilion

Say farewell to the Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships and celebrate your new friends, achievements and all the great times with the official Beach Sunset Closing Party – a night to remember.

With DJ Jason Conti on decks playing some pumping tunes, get your tickets to one of the hottest parties in Tue 25 February the Melbourne2020 Social Calendar and dance the night in the sunset golden hour at one of Melbourne’s Closing Beach Sunset favourite beach-side venues. Party Tickets available at our booking site melbourne2020.square.site Drinks and Nibbles included.

Time: 8:30am – 5:00pm Venue: Pick Up from Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre Main Entrance

An all-day Victorian bus tour from Melbourne to outer Victorian nature sanctuaries. Throughout the day you will have the opportunity to enjoy a serene bush walk through the internationally renowned William Ricketts Sanctuary. You will see and meet some local animals like kangaroos and koalas as you traverse the stunning bush land Wed 26 February haven, Healesville Sanctury. A complimentary glass of wine is included in the package to enjoy overlooking Wildlife and Winery the gorgeous scenery at Domaine Chandon winery. Excursion Due the nature of the trip it is important to register early at our booking site melbourne2020.square.site Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Our Press Pass Information Press Passes To be considered for a press pass to the Melbourne2020 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships, fill in the form at the link here: https://melbourne2020.org/about/media-centre

For any other enquiries email us: [email protected]

Key Media Opportunities 20 February - Opening Movie night Representatives from City of Melbourne, Ambassadors in attendance at the opening night film where an international gay film being premiered (with MQFF support). The film’s director will also be present.

22 February - Opening Ceremony Minister for Equality opening the event, Mayor of Port Phillip, Opening ceremony performance, Exhibition relay featuring ambassadors, Australian Swim team members and local swimmers.

25 February - Pink Flamingo A sport that combines dance, drag and Artistic swimming resulting in a great visual spectacle.

20-25 February - Interviews with our diverse attendees and sponsors With over 600 competitors from 16 countries. Our competitors have great stories to tell some detailed on the next page. Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Special stories from our competitors

Last Year’s Host Club Columbia Aquatics Swimmers

“After an exciting year hosting IGLA 2019, District of Columbia Aquatics Club (DCAC) World Pride and Stonewall 50th, Team will be bringing 25 swimmers to the IGLA New York Aquatics is thrilled to have such Championships in Melbourne. Included on a strong presence at Melbourne 2020! the team are five first-time IGLA We are excited to represent our city and attendees. DCAC swimmer/coach Jerry community as we carry on this global Uganda Kuchus Aquatic Team Scholarship Frentsos will be attempting to break the tradition. For some, this will mark their FINA world records in the 200 IM and 400 22nd IGLA, while others will be Melbourne2020 and IGLA have provided a IM experiencing it for the very first time. Our $7,500 USD scholarship to the Ugandan Kuchus swimmers, water polo players, and Aquatics Team (UKAT) the scholarship program synchronized swimmers are humbled to aims to support people who would otherwise 90 Year Old Female Attempting a 1500m compete with our fellow proud athletes have difficulty attending the championships – National Record in this year’s championship. We look the UKAT team are launching their own forward to this week of competing and fundraising campaign to support their cause: A Melbourne2020 IGLA Competitor is a connecting around the one thing we all 90 year old female swimmer attempting a love most: The water.” https://www.gofundme.com/f/uganda-kuchus- National Record in the 1500m race - Team New York Aquatics in-australia Melbourne2020 IGLA Championships Thank you to our Sponsors

Diamond Sponsor Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

Our Sponsors are welcome to attend our events and have been invited to open activations during the championships at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre