There’s no stopping this top jock
One of the rewarding aspects of writing and blogging about the gay sports scene in Atlanta is meeting the people behind the incredible number of organizations spread all across the metro area. That was the case recently in talking with Michelle Martin, who seems to spend all of her free time running through the streets of her Decatur neighborhood and swimming with friends at practices of the Atlanta Rainbow Trout.
But Martin is more than just another gay jock looking to stay in shape and meet new people, the most common refrains heard from members of gay sports organizations. It’s turned into a passion for her, undertaking a new sport at age 50 and quickly becoming a dominant force in her age group. She also gives back, serving as swim director for the Trout.
“I just had so much fun,” Martin says of competing in her first International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics championships in 2002. “It was great going to a gay meet and meeting other lesbian swimmers. I just loved it.”
After she was recently named Sportsperson of the Year by the Atlanta Gay Sports Alliance, I had the chance to profile Martin in my Southern Voice sports column. Read the full story.