Who I'm looking for:
I am looking for English-speaking males 18 and older, who are Canadian citizens (or landed immigrants), and who self-identify as gay or queer. You must be preparing for a marathon in Fall/2005 or plan to run one in Spring/2006, and have completed at least one marathon or longer distance event in the past two years.
What you would be asked to do:
You will be asked to write your own personal story specific to your experiences as a gay or queer marathoner (the length of submission is up to you!) for inclusion in the study. Your story will be confidential and a fictitious name will be used throughout the study to ensure confidentiality.
Possible topics and questions for consideration will be forwarded to you if you are interested in participating; general themes include motivation for marathon participation, being a gay or queer male in marathoning, being a man in marathoning, and notions of body and health.
When this is needed by:
I would like to receive your stories by September 15, 2005, by email.
If you are interested in participating in this project or have questions about participation, please contact me directly at bbrid012@uottawa.ca and I will let you know how you can contribute to this study.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
PS: To any American or international marathoners, I'm sorry that I can't include you in the study at this time, but am trying to maintain a Canadian-based focus, as there is a relative lack of literature specific to gay athletes in Canada.
William Bridel
bbrid012@uottawa.ca
MA Candidate - Human Kinetics
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada