Attitude 101 2026: Here are the 10 influential figures who made our ‘Sport’ list

Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, celebrates LGBTQ+ athletes and sports figures who are reshaping the game on and off the pitch, rink, and beyond.

The selection spans 10 sectors: Business; Fashion, Art & Design; Financial & Legal; Film, TV, and Music; Media & Broadcast; STEM; Sport; The Future (Under 25), supported by Clifford Chance; Third Sector & Community; and Travel, supported by Booking.com.

Honoured on this year’s Sport list are 10 LGBTQ+ athletes and sports change makers making an impact across every sporting arena. See here for the full list of Attitude 101 2026 honourees.

Category leader: Mitch Brown

Former AFL player Mitch Brown is breaking barriers as the first openly bisexual Australian footballer. Since coming out in 2025, he has spoken candidly about bi-erasure, both within and outside the LGBTQ+ community. Brown uses his platform to challenge hyper-masculine sporting norms and advocate for greater inclusivity in sport. As leader of the Sport category for Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, he inspires his two children, and others, to embrace their identities without fear. See here for Mitch Brown’s Attitude 101 feature interview.

Jason Collins 

American professional basketball player Jason Collins made history in 2013 as the first openly gay athlete in any of North America’s four major men’s professional team sports leagues. Standing seven feet tall and known for his defensive presence, Collins played centre for seven NBA teams, including the New Jersey Nets and Boston Celtics. After coming out publicly, he returned to the court in 2014 with the Brooklyn Nets. Later that year, Collins retired, ending a 13-season NBA career that began in 2001 and leaving a legacy that extended far beyond basketball. 

Fleur Cousens 

In 2015, Fleur Cousens created Goal Diggers FC (GDFC), a football team for women and non-binary players, to challenge the idea that it is a “man’s game”. At a time when trans rights face global attack and the definition of womanhood excludes many trans people, Cousens has built a football space that is fully accessible regardless of experience or ability. Instead, Goal Diggers FC prioritises participation, community and belonging over competition. By leading this trans-inclusive team and highlighting LGBTQ+ visibility in sport, Cousens has become a powerful role model for inclusion in football. 

Lewis Gibson

Ice dancer Lewis Gibson has skated to the top of our radar this year, following the news that he will represent Team GB at the 2026 Winter Olympics with partner Lilah Fear. The gay athlete had a monumental 2025, claiming bronze at the European Figure Skating Championships, gold at the NHK Trophy in Osaka, and bronze in ice dance at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, securing Great Britain’s first world medal in ice dance since 1984. He has also advocated for greater inclusivity in ice dance, including support for same-sex partnerships at international competitions, making him a powerful figure in elite sport.

Ajay Holbrook

American transgender bodybuilder Ajay Holbrook is breaking barriers as he aims to become the first transgender competitor at the prestigious Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition. By late 2025, he had amassed an online following of over 60,000 on Instagram, inspiring other trans athletes to embrace their bodies and challenge sporting prejudices. Holbrook came out as trans around age 13 and began his transition in 2014. Now 28 years old, he motivates and empowers the next generation of trans youth. 

Nicolás Keenan

This 28-year-old Argentine Olympic hockey star has surged into the spotlight this year, not only for his sporting achievements but also for his high-profile engagement to Dutch politician Rob Jetten, a pairing set to become the first openly gay couple to hold office in the Netherlands. A gold medallist at the 2019 Pan American Games, Nicolás Keenan represented Argentina at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, he came out as bisexual, and in November that year he announced his engagement to Jetten on Instagram. Together, the couple represent a new era of visibility at the intersection of sport and politics.

Connor Minney

As founder of the world’s largest weekly gay running club, Connor Minney is creating a safe and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community. Since launching in March 2024, Gayns has grown to over 250 weekly participants and has partnered with global brands like Lululemon, Gymshark and Liquid I.V. With a credible background in fitness training and consultancy, Minney has expanded Gayns into events, merchandise and media, fostering a thriving community of over 1,400 members in its WhatsApp group. With plans to extend beyond London to places like Manchester, Minney is bringing queer joy to the nation.

Jay Moch

Content creator and fitness coach Jay Moch has been helping trans men build muscle and battle stigma since 2021. Sharing his own transition journey, he’s become a beacon for fitness, self-care and LGBTQ+ positivity, quickly turning into a role model for trans youth everywhere. Not stopping there, Moch turned his training knowledge into a fitness system, which grew into the JMOCH Fitness App, making sporting representation more accessible than ever. Having navigated his own transition, Moch draws on personal experience to tailor programmes that meet the needs of the trans community.

Blaize Shiek 

Shutting out the haters in 2025, Blaize Shiek made the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders as one of just two male dancers on the team. When a wave of homophobic abuse followed, Shiek and teammate Louie Conn clapped back on social media: “Wait… did someone say our name?” And they weren’t wrong – fans can’t get enough of them. Shiek graduated from Fargo South High School as the only male member of the Brunkix dance team, then continued breaking boundaries with the North Dakota State Bison dance squad at North Dakota State University. 

Leah Williamson

Leading the Lionesses to victory at the Women’s EURO 2025 final, Leah Williamson became the first England captain to lift two major international trophies, having first assumed the captaincy in 2022 and winning the EURO in the same year. Wearing a rainbow armband during their 2025 EURO match against France, she championed LGBTQ+ representation, striking a visible moment for queer women in sport. In late 2025, she was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours List 2026 for her sehttps://www.attitude.co.uk/tag/lee-knightrvices to football. 

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The full Attitude 101 list appears in issue 369 of Attitude magazine, available to buy now in print, on the Attitude app, or through Apple News+.