The multi-talented Decathlon Queen has made a name for herself in the past three years of drag. From Ottawa to Vancouver Island, this decathlon-runner-gone-drag-queen has something to prove.
“Sports is the main reason I got into drag… My name is the track-and-field event I competed in up to a national level,” says Decathlon Queen.
A self-proclaimed pride queen, she is sure to keep you in check and outdo everyone when it comes to preparing an outfit. Sewing until the last minute some days, she says what drew her to patterns and pins was influenced by other drag queens.
“Season two of Canada’s Drag Race… Icesis Couture inspired me to buy a sewing machine and teach myself how to sew.”
Being a newer queen in Victoria, she has brought her passion for sports and community with her.
“Every year in the month of June, any money that I make through my drag is put towards a scholarship for a queer varsity athlete,” she says.
So far she has helped three athletes get closer to reaching their goals of balancing school and sport.
“Having a career in human kinetics, something that I am very passionate about is getting people moving, trying new things, trying to find something you enjoy to keep [yourself] active,” she says.
Reflecting on her past research on masculinity and homophobia in sports, one quote from a participant in the research group rang true.
“When asking what we needed in sports,” she says, “they responded with, ‘We need more acceptance in sports, we need a screaming queen to come out and say, “I’m going to kick your ass.”’”
And with that, the athletic screaming queen Decathlon Queen was born. With movement on the mind, she has put together a wide range of shows, from design competitions to heels and wall climbing. At her first-year anniversary show in Ottawa, she shared the magic of bouldering and drag at a local bouldering house. In Victoria, she recently took over and hosted at Boulder House Langford.
“We partnered with GOATS, which is a queer rock-climbing organization. We had two headlining queens… It was just packed full of people,” she says.
Decathlon Queen says that it’s been difficult being the only one publicly queer in her athletic community.
“Growing up in the sports world as a queer person, it was not the best environment,” she says. “[But] I was fortunate in the sense that things were getting better [with] the physical and verbal assault.”
While having found safety within the community, when you present ideas that can be met with excitement and joy, that can be all the steam you need to stay creative. The Taylor Swift fantasy being one idea: The Tortured Drag Department is a show shared with Aria Okay and Drew Scarywhore on May 8 at Friends of Dorothy.
The feeling of pride in winning cannot be beat for Decathlon Queen; she’s sharing her love of competition by hosting a variety of drag events that encourage skill building, playful banter, and a safe stage to try new things.
Friends of Dorothy will host the next competition, Lip Sync Assassin of Dorothy. Six competitors. One winner.
You can follow Decathlon Queen at @decathlonqueen and at @mugdevents.