CHAIR

I started tennis aged 8 and have been following the game since Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport for her first Wimbledon title in 2000 - I am now a diehard Williams Sisters fan!

I began my career as a coach, progressing to a regional referee. As President of Stirling University tennis club, I launched a Learning Disability programme with Tennis Scotland. I interned for IMG in Mumbai and London, and was based at Wimbledon for the 2012 Olympics.

Tennis has been a place of joy and relaxation, but I haven’t always felt represented or organically included. I am thrilled to be part of Pride in Tennis to help make it a sport for all.

VICE-CHAIR

I grew up playing table tennis, but switched to tennis in my 20s, and have since become a real tennis nut - as a fan, a player and a licensed referee.

LGBTQ+ tennis has played a big role in my social life. I have met many like-minded people in the UK and on the GLTA global circuit who have become true friends.

In fact, I met my life partner through a local LGBTQ+ tennis group. We still often compete as a doubles pair and many are amazed that our relationship both on and off court has survived all the trials and tribulations!

MEMEBERSHIP OFFICER

I started playing tennis when I was 3 with my family. From tennis I moved to badminton before a long-term injury brought me back to tennis.

I was brought into Pride in Tennis due to being a researcher investigating gender and sexuality in sport and I'm excited to develop the research surrounding LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UK.

TREASURER

Inspired by watching a Navratilova/Barker (my all-time fave!) quarter-final at Wimbledon aged 10, I’ve been tennis-obsessed ever since, although with a few playing breaks caused by multiple knee surgeries. I now mainly play doubles (typically with my long-suffering husband, Kevin), wearing ugly Robocop-style knee braces to do so!

Moving to London in 2005, the LGBTQ+ tennis network here provided us with a terrific infrastructure to play, and to meet other LGBTQ+ people, many of whom are now our close friends.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

I have loved tennis ever since I picked up a racket at the age of five, inspired by watching Wimbledon on TV in the late '80s and introduced to the sport by my mum at our local tennis club. While my passion for the game grew, so did my awareness of the lack of inclusion and visibility for LGBTQ+ people in the sport.

Now, with over 20 years of professional experience in marketing, I am excited to combine my expertise with his greatest passion—tennis. For me, Pride in Tennis represents the community and support that were missing when I first started playing, and I am committed to making sure future generations never feel the same.

CLUBS & VENUES NETWORK OFFICER

I was that typical sports mad Geordie kid, playing racquet sports from age 9. I have played and then coached at the same club in Newcastle all my life.

When I was 13 and realised I was gay, I found it very difficult to accept that fact, leading to many mental health problems. Only when I was 30 did I have the confidence to come out as a coach and a player.

I have founded Pride in Tennis to give young LGBTQ+ athletes an easier route into this fantastic sport, with confidence and without prejudice.

SECRETARY

The first time I saw tennis on TV, I thought: “I could do that!”, so I asked my parents to enrol me in a local club in Farnham, Surrey. At 14, I came second in my first ever tournament and have been taking part in club and regional competitions ever since, in and around Portsmouth where I am currently based.

In 2013, I discovered the GLTA and entered their event at World Out Games in Antwerp. I have been competing abroad regularly with an ever-expanding family of friends.

I am honoured to work alongside this dedicated team to make our sport a welcoming and positive experience for all.

PARTNERSHIP & SPONSORSHIP OFFICER

Tennis has always been a part of my life, having grown up playing regularly.

After university, I went a decade without playing, but have found my way back to competing in recent years. However, when I came back to the sport, I was out as a lesbian in every sphere of my life, but hadn’t yet experienced being out at a tennis club.

I’m passionate about Pride in Tennis because I’d love to help make tennis a more inclusive place.