Steven Poletti (2017)
Quidditch has changed my life in so many ways. I've met some amazing people who I wouldn't have met otherwise. I've had some good weekends away at tournaments such as Midwinter and QUAFL. I've become more comfortable in myself and I've been able to find that competitive balance in my life that I need. I know I'm not the best, but quidditch has given me that drive to be better, and I know it's something I can accomplish in Quidditch, unlike other sports I've tried in the past.
I'm so glad to have discovered quidditch and I want to be involved in this sport long after I stop playing.
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Steven began playing for the Macarthur Weasleys in 2017. He now plays for the South West Horntails, is a Head Referee, volunteers on the Horntails’ Board, and is a community videographer.
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Stephen Butler (2012)
It may shock absolutely nobody that I was super shy and awkward growing up and never really felt like I belonged. I had friends but like, I just always felt like a bit of an outsider. But that changed when I started playing quidditch. I was a part of something, and something really cool. There was often nothing more comfortable than going to a quidditch tournament; I knew there’d be plenty of people I knew, got along with and belonged with, which was pretty bloody huge.
Heck, without quidditch I wouldn’t have my current job or my best friend. Without quidditch, I’d most likely still be very uneducated about the spectrum of genders and sexualities that exist. Weirdly enough, this quirky University sport managed to change my whole world view (for the better, in my opinion).
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Stephen began playing for the UWS Thestrals in 2012. He now plays for the Sydney City Serpents, and has been a snitch, head referee, world cup referee, and selector at the state and national level.
Photo: KS Images
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Zoe Cheong
My first QUAFL was the wet one in 2017. We were down a couple of women for a game and only narrowly made gender. I overheard a teammate who at the time had just come out as agender confirm that the refs knew they were non-binary so we didn't break the gender rule. That was the moment I thought: 'Huh, maybe I should look at this gender thing a little harder'.
I always knew intuitively that I wasn't a man, but that was the moment that led me down the self questioning road to find Zoe today, and I wouldn't trade the experience that led me to them for the world.
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Zoe joined the ANU Owls Quidditch Club in 2017, and now plays for the Valkyries Quidditch Club. They are a snitch, volunteer on the Gender Engagement Committee, and have played for Team Malaysia.
Photo: Willem de Gouw Photography
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Natalie Astalosh (2012)
How has quidditch changed my life? For a while there quidditch was my life. Still is, if you look close enough. It brought me close friends, shared experiences and a support network. It gave me purpose, something to look forward to, and something to care about. It gave me three major overseas holidays. The opportunity to represent my country. It made me a World Champion. It caused me to completely question everything I knew about gender, sex, and societal roles. It taught me how to use powertools. Hard decisions and lessons in leadership. Confidence that my opinions were worth sharing. Certified expertise in some areas, and a voice to influence. A relationship. Moving out of home. At least two jobs.
I don’t know where my life would have gone were it not for joining quidditch, but the sport has touched every single part of who I am and my story so far—my story the past eight years is my quidditch story.
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Natalie began playing quidditch with the University of Sydney Quidditch Club in 2012, where she was Treasurer, Captain, and President. She now plays for the Sydney City Serpents and has been a captain, Australian Dropbear and NSW Blue Tongue, member of the QA Gameplay Committee, Ref Lord, and member of the IQA Rulebook Committee.
Photo: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography
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