Guelph, Ont., track and field club brings fitness, friendship to LGBTQ community

Decked out in purple shorts and zebra-print running shoes, Jacob Maxwell leads about a dozen people through a brisk workout at the University of Guelph field house. 

By day, the 22-year-old studies to be a veterinarian. But on Sunday nights, he coaches Telos Athletics: an amateur track and field club that aims to bring the joy of movement to the LGBTQ community in the Ontario city.

"Telos is … really a space for any kind of physical activity, all based on the principle that queer people are welcome here," said Maxwell. 

At a recent Sunday practice, a group of Telos regulars were all smiles as they chatted their way through laps and lunges, set to a playlist of Rod Stewart and Ariana Grande. 

The friendly atmosphere still feels special to many members, who — whether they're former competitive athletes or haven't stepped on the track since middle school — say they've often felt excluded from the world of sport. 

"You always had to be very careful of how feminine you were coming across: are you doing anything that could be perceived as gay?" said Michael Brathwaite, 34, a former high school track star. 

Tim Bartley had a similar experience. He was a hockey player, who didn't feel he could be out while playing the game — and eventually drifted away from sports altogether. 

"If you can't really be yourself, I don't know that you can really effectively be part of the team," said Bartley, 36. 

Maxwell himself came to track and field relatively late. While he loved jumping events as a kid, he didn't pursue them in high school because of the homophobic slurs he heard tossed around the locker room. 

As a university student, his interest in sport and exercise took off. He started lifting weights and running, and eventually discovered a sand pit near his house. 

"I just started long jump and was like, 'I like this, I want to do more of it,'" said Maxwell. He founded the Telos club last August in hopes of sharing his love of the sport with more people — and has since racked up a group of about a dozen regular members.

"I know that queer sports teams aren't unique ... but I think in a small university town, it is pretty unique," he said. "I still think that a group for queer people to enjoy sport is a new idea because queer people have traditionally been intimidated by athletic spaces."

While sport is part of the draw for club members Gabriele Wehrle and Gavin Canning — both say they're mostly in it for the friendly atmosphere. 

"We all know each other, there's a lot of jokes going on all the time," said Canning, 39.