Belonging, representation and change

This September marks another year that the UK officially honours East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) Heritage Month – a time to celebrate the rich cultural histories, achievements and resilience of our communities.

For me, though, it is more than a celebration – it’s a mirror, reminding me of where I started and why I continue to fight for change.

My journey began in the shadows of homelessness as a young person, feeling invisible and excluded from the very spaces where I longed to be.

At the same time I was training as a competitive bodybuilder and athlete, but I never saw anyone like me: a Southeast Asian LGBTQ athlete. Someone who shared my identity.

That absence cut deep and left me questioning whether sport had a place for me at all.

But that void became my spark, igniting the fire that drives me today as an athlete, an advocate, a keynote speaker and a global ambassador.

The power of heritage and representation

ESEA Heritage Month in the UK began in 2013 as a grassroots initiative led by passionate community advocates determined to give our stories space in the national conversation.

Today, it has grown into a powerful celebration of pride, resilience and belonging, because while sport has the power to unite and uplift, it can just as easily reinforce barriers and stereotypes.

Representation for East and Southeast Asian athletes in the UK remains scarce and with invisibility comes potential for damaging assumptions about who belongs in sport.

That is why this month is not only about honouring our culture but also about opening doors for others to step through.

Driving change with the Asian Sports Foundation

This is also why organisations like the Asian Sports Foundation (ASF) are so vital.

ASF works to tackle health inequalities and underrepresentation in sport, breaking down cultural, social and structural barriers that can hold Asian communities back.

Their approach is rooted in authenticity, education and respect, because we are not one homogenous group.

Instead we all acknowledge the rich diversity and recognise that no one story is the same.
 

Through campaigning, supporting grassroots delivery and strategic influence, ASF empowers communities to live healthier, more active and more connected lives.

From improving wellbeing to shaping sports programmes, ASF proves that sport is more than competition – it’s a catalyst for equity, resilience and social change.

My journey to advocacy

In 2024, I was deeply honoured to become a Southeast Asian athlete ambassador for ASF.

For me, this role is not about titles but about the responsibility it brings with it.

It is also about creating pathways where none existed before, amplifying voices that deserve to be heard and showing young athletes that representation is not symbolic, but transformational.

My journey has taken me from homelessness and the lonely days of training as a young bodybuilder – feeling invisible and excluded – to becoming one of the most recognised global LGBTQ sports advocates in the world.

Today, I am proud to be the only Asian LGBTQ athlete in history to hold ten international sports ambassador roles.

I have also been honoured by over 30 international organisations, served as the first Asian athlete ambassador for Pride House at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Athlete Ally and Stonewall. 

My global advocacy has been recognised by the State of Georgia for my community service and the non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organisation GLAAD, and I have had the privilege of advising governments, Fortune 500 companies, sports federations and even the White House on inclusion and diversity. 

And yet, at the heart of all these milestones, remains that young athlete who once looked in the mirror and felt unseen.

It is for them – and for all who still feel excluded – that I continue this work.

A call to action

Being an ally to East and Southeast Asian athletes begins with recognition.

It means listening to their voices, challenging stereotypes, amplifying our stories and supporting organisations like ASF.

But above all it means showing up not just in September, but every single day.

This Heritage Month, I ask you to celebrate and share stories with us and to go beyond!

Make a commitment to change and stand with us not just in words but in action through listening to our shared stories, learning histories and championing athletes to bring them out beyond the sidelines.

Imagine a sporting world where every child, including every Asian boy and girl, can step onto the field, the track or the pitch and see themselves not as outsiders, but as leaders, champions and changemakers.

That world is possible if we build it together.

Sport is more than competition. It is what unites us and what can build belonging, joy and community.

This ESEA Heritage Month, let’s commit to making sport a place where every athlete belongs.