Boxing Champ Terri Harper Helps LGBTQ+ Athletes Be Themselves

When young boxers walk into Terri Harper's gym feeling like they don't belong, the world champion makes sure they leave feeling seen.

Harper, the reigning WBO lightweight world champion, has become an unofficial mentor to LGBTQ+ athletes in her training circle. "I've had a couple of people in and around the gym, they just feel comfortable coming to me and chatting to me," Harper told Sky Sports.

Her advice comes from a place of personal experience. As an openly gay professional boxer, Harper knows the challenges of competing in a sport that hasn't always been welcoming to LGBTQ+ athletes.

"I think it's always important to be true to who you are," Harper explains. "Just be your authentic self and just do what you truly believe in and try not to change yourself for anybody else."

The 30-year-old multi-weight champion says she's been fortunate to avoid most of the hate that others in her position face. Her secret? Not letting negativity define her.

"I think I've got to that age now where it's just over my head because I know who I am as a person," she said. After her April 5 title unification fight with Caroline Dubois, Harper will turn her attention to planning her wedding with partner Gemma.

Why This Inspires

Harper's impact extends beyond her one-on-one conversations. By living openly and authentically while competing at boxing's highest level, she's showing young LGBTQ+ athletes that they don't have to choose between their identity and their dreams.

Martin Stark, an activist fighting homophobia in combat sports, sees women like Harper as "real champions of change, real trailblazers." He notes that grassroots gyms and amateur boxing are making genuine progress in welcoming LGBTQ+ athletes, creating pockets of acceptance throughout the sport.

While professional boxing still has work to do at the leadership level, Harper represents the personal change happening on gym floors across the country. She's proof that authenticity and athletic excellence aren't mutually exclusive.

Harper's message is refreshingly simple: be yourself, and don't let anyone else's opinions change that.