1 minute read
A NOTE FROM PETEY
NOTE FROM PETEY
HISTORY of the PETEY AWARDS™
Advertisement
A NOTE FROM PETEY
Just in case you are wondering, yeah, I’m the guy Compete modeled its award on. Compete Magazine was started by two rugby players participating in the Bingham Cup, a global rugby tournament named after rugby player and 9/11 hero, Mark Bingham. There wasn’t much coverage of LGBTQ+ sports back in 2006 and Compete was started to address that gap. In fact, Compete is the first and only LGBTQ+ sports diversity magazine in the world, an honor that makes the entire Compete team feel very proud. The picture of me they use for the Petey Awards shows me in my rugby referee uniform. I have my hand raised representing a “try” or score in rugby. And if you haven't figured it out yet, the "Petey" name for the awards is taken from ComPETE. Enough about me, though. Let me tell you about the Petey Awards. In 2008, Compete Magazine started a tradition of honoring an amateur LGBTQ+ athlete each year as our Athlete of the Year. The support of the community was so overwhelming that in 2010 we presented the award to that year’s winner at a special event in West Hollywood. We’ve held the awards every year since, taking it to Phoenix, Atlanta, Los Angeles twice, Denver, Kansas City and Scottsdale. And every year the event’s gotten bigger as major league team sports have begun to recognize the power of LGBTQ+ sports – I like that! Partners at the 2018 Petey Awards included the local Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona Coyotes, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the National Football League (NFL).
Compete has always kept a focus on everyday LGBTQ+ and ally recreational athletes, telling their stories and those of the leagues that have welcomed them to play. Compete has also always been generous with its time and money to help the LGBTQ+ sport community grow. It’s donated over $200,000 in cash, SDLC scholarships and in-kind donations and sponsorships. That’s FABULOUS! It’s the reason I’m so proud to represent Compete!
So if you haven’t already joined the Compete Sports Diversity Leadership Council, do it!
Petey
