Gay Skater Raises Money for Olympic Bid

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/06/14/Gay_Skater_Raises_Money_for_Olympic_Bid/

New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup doesn’t have funding for his Olympic bid from the normal places, so a charity is raising money on his behalf.

The Gay Auckland Business Association heard an appeal for help from Skjellerup, who is gay, during its June meeting and decided to launch a fundraising campaign through its charitable trust. GABA also plans to lobby SPARC, New Zealand’s government source for funds, for an explanation for why it doesn’t fund speed skating.

“It's a minority sport so it's understandable," Skjellerup told attendees at the GABA meeting, according to GayNZ.com. "It's just not the greatest, ideal situation for me."

Skjellerup came out publicly in a magazine interview after the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and has been a vocal advocate for gay youth. He’s skated in eight world championships, and he said his sights are set on winning gold during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia.