Sitting on the start line about to battle it out for a medal in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four A-Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, VIS Para-rower Alexandra Viney had energy like never before to give to her sport.
Viney was at a place in her life where she was finally able to fully and safely embrace her intersectionality, identifying as someone with a disability and being an openly gay female athlete, Viney represented her country as her true self.
At age 18, the competitive young athlete survived a serious car accident caused by a drunk driver, leaving her with impairments that affect her left elbow, forearm and hand. Since the accident, Viney went on to become a sport scientist and strength and conditioning coach.
More recently, and in a turn of events, she proudly represented Australia as an elite rower.
Tasmanian born Viney was selected for the Australian Senior Para-Rowing Team in the PR3 Mixed Coxed four in February 2019 and made her international debut at the Gavirate International Para Regatta, placing second in the PR3 four. She then placed fourth at her first World Championships, in the bow of her selected boat class qualifying a place for Australia for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
At Tokyo, Viney competed with crewmates Nikki Ayers, Tom Birtwistle, James Talbot, and coxswain Renae Domaschenz in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four to finish in fourth place.
At the World Rowing Championships in 2022, the PR3 Women’s Pair of Viney and Alex Vuillermin had a rhythmic race and took the silver medal behind Great Britain. Post-race Viney and Vuillermin, affectionately known as “A-Squared”, said, “We started well and managed to hit a good race rhythm. We went for it and this is a great result. It really means a lot to us.”
“A-Squared” are 3x National Champions and are both currently training with their eyes set on being selected in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Outside of the sporting arena, Viney is a vocal advocate for LGBTIQA+ athletes, particularly those with a disability. She is proudly and proactively working towards greater inclusion, education, conversations and building on connections with allies and members of the LGBTQI+ community in both sport and life.
“As a Paralympian and a member of the LGBTIQA+ community, l have experienced firsthand the barriers to participation that people in both communities face,” said Viney.
“The exhaustion and heartache of not being my true self impacted all areas of my life.”
“The ability to be open with our own personal identity and self-expression is so important and, for me, to identify with a disability was already proving to be a challenge within society let alone being honest about other areas of my life.”
“The good news in that the safe spaces and inclusion experienced within sport is evolving,” she added.
In 2022, Viney was named as an ambassador for the inaugural AIS Thrive with Pride program - a program that aims to support rainbow athletes and allies with driving LGBTIQA+ inclusion initiatives within Australian sporting communities to help celebrate and empower LGBTIQA+ people.
Viney felt most at home within the community at Proud 2 Play, and resonated strongly with the work that the organisation is doing. Therefore, signing on an athlete ambassador for 2023 solely with Proud 2 Play has been an incredible honor and responsibility that Viney hopes to fulfil into the foreseeable future.
Taking every opportunity to learn, listen and engage is high on Viney’s list of priorities, noting that active inclusion runs deeper than rainbow stickers and uniforms, and that more can be done to make sport safe for all.
“If you’re not actively engaging having conversations and learning how to be inclusive and welcoming to people in the community, then we have a stalled feeling where we have to be aware of what part of us we are putting forward… Instead of just feeling completely comfortable and accepted in the environment," said Viney.
An incredible opportunity for Viney arose in early 2023 when she spoke as a Proud 2 Play ambassador with Sam Koslowski from The Daily Aus at the 2023 Australian Open as part of The AO Show’s Pride initiative Out in the Open.
You can listen to Viney speak with Sam from The Daily Aus on The AO Show on Spotify here.
Find out more about Proud 2 Play and the AIS Thrive with Pride program.
