Teller Becomes First Quidditch Player to Join Athlete Ally

Credit: KS Goh

Two-time Team USA gold medalist Kedzie Teller has joined Athlete Ally as a professional ambassador.

Teller, currently a chaser for the top-five Lone Star Quidditch Club, joins the ranks of more than 140 professional athletes, including US Women’s National Team forward Abby Wambach, retired tennis professional Andy Roddick, NFL tight end Marcedes Lewis and three-time MLB MVP Yogi Berra. He is the organization’s first quidditch player.

“It’s important for Athlete Ally to reach a variety of sports through our Pro Ambassador network because our work spans eliminating homophobia and transphobia in all athletic communities,” said Outreach and Program Coordinator Cheryl Lala. “Quidditch is exploding on the athletic scene and having an ambassador from the sport seemed like a natural fit.”

Teller stumbled upon Athlete Ally about a year ago while browsing companies in the sports marketing industry on LinkedIn. The non-profit group, which provides public awareness campaigns and educational programming designed to foster inclusive sporting communities, immediately struck a chord with him.

“Advocacy for LGBT athletes is something I’ve felt passionate about for quite some time, and as I looked into Athlete Ally’s work, I thought it seemed like an inspiring group, but I didn’t realize I’d ever have the chance to join their team,” he said.

Athlete Ally reached out to Teller via direct message roughly a month after he tagged the organization in a tweet.

“At the time, I had no idea that I was eligible to become an ally–I was simply saying that I wanted to start donating portions of fundraising to Athlete Ally,” he said.

After inquiring about Teller’s background and desire to get involved, it was decided he was the ideal candidate for group’s Ambassador Program.

“Kedzie has proven himself to be a driven athlete, passionate about the sport he loves and championing equality,” Lala said. “We’re excited to partner with him and know his enthusiasm will further propel our efforts of inclusion while spreading our message of ‘allyship.’”

Ambassadors act as the face of the Athlete Ally movement. They have the option to dictate their own level of involvement but are expected to learn and share info on the organization’s campaigns.

“We work with the athletic networks we’ve built over the years to share Athlete Ally’s messages and help grow the network of LGBT advocates,” Teller said. “We can do interviews, we can write op-eds, make appearances, participate in social media campaigns, and all try to establish connections between Athlete Ally and our leagues, teams and fans.”

Credit: Jessica Jiamin Lang

As an ambassador, Teller hopes to facilitate a relationship between Athlete Ally and US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch.

“One of the most exciting things is that quidditch has both collegiate and higher-level networks. Since this organization has goals specific to college athletics as well as the sporting world in general, quidditch provides a unique two-in-one audience,” he said. “With any luck, these relationships will benefit everyone involved. I can only see good things coming from this.”

Teller has already begun connecting the three aforementioned organizations, using his relationships with leaders to begin fostering what he hopes will be longstanding partnerships.

“It’s the perfect time to step up and do something that hasn’t been done yet,” he said. “By giving back to the community, we show the value our players can offer. I encourage individuals to think about what matters to them and see if there is a way to tie it into their athletic endeavors.”

For more information on Athlete Ally and to join Teller in his fight, go here.

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