From Phnom Penh to Sydney in five years, Victoria Stagg Elliott has collected more than frequent-flyer miles. Five years ago this 33-year-old was a 245-lb couch potato with a compulsive overeating disorder and a five-chocolate-bar-a-day habit. Next week, she will be competing in seven events at Gay Games VI, including the sprint distance triathlon.
“This is for all the fat girls who were picked last in gym,” says Stagg Elliott when describing her motivation for participating in the Gay Games. She adds, “Anyone can do this stuff. All it takes to participate in the Gay Games is a credit card.” However, this athlete has done a lot more than put her money on the table. Out of desperation she happened upon hypnotherapy in 1998. After one session boosted her will power, it led to getting her eating under control. Stagg Elliott gave up chocolate, spent a week in bed with the shakes, relearned to eat regular meals, and hasn’t looked back since.
The next mile-marker occurred two years later while she was living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. With not much to do for recreation, this weekend editor for an English-language daily decided to participate in a race to swim across the Mekong River. She trained for two weeks, made it across the finish line and wasn’t last. She’s been addicted to the cheering ever since. The next event was a half marathon so she decided to start running. Although Stagg Elliott settled for a 5-km instead, running had become part of her repertoire.
After spending six years overseas, Stagg Elliott returned home to Chicago determined to take full advantage of everything the United States has to offer. With her new appreciation for the U.S., she decided, “I’m not going to be a spectator again [and am] going to participate.” She joined the Smelts (Chicago’s LGBT swim team) and also wanted to learn something new. She lives near an ice rink so she signed up for figure skating lessons. This smelt took to the ice like a fish to … . Needless to say, after only a year and a half, she will be the first basic level skater to compete at the Gay Games. For one minute on the ice, she will skate to “Une Very Stylish Fille” by Parisian Dimitri. Of the figure skating experience, Stagg Elliott says, “It is elegant and like learning to fly. You feel weightless on the ice.” She adds, “You feel pretty. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to wear sequins and rhinestones. There definitely should be more opportunities for lesbians to wear sequins and rhinestones.” On the athletic side of things, she says, “When you learn something new, it feels really good because it takes months to learn, it’s really hard and when you finally get it, it feels fantastic.”
Five years ago climbing stairs left her in pain and out of breath; today Victoria Stagg Elliott will compete in five swimming events, the sprint distance triathlon and figure skate in the spotlight at Gay Games VI. To all the queer girls and boys who have grown up with unrealized dreams, Victoria says, “You can be the once upon a time.”
Team Chicago, info@teamchicago.org, (312) 409-5155 or visit their Web site at www.teamchicago.org.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that organizers of Sydney’s Gay Games deny they are in financial trouble. The Games run Nov. 2-9.
See www.gaygames.org.