Out Athlete Fund Raises over $16k to Support Out LGBTQ+ Olympic Hopefuls

Team USA speed skater Conor McDermott-Mostowy will have

many of his costs covered by Out Athlete Fund

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 6, 2025

Contact: Cyd Zeigler, 323-841-8293

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California – On November 1, 2025, Out Athlete Fund raised over $16k to support training and travel of out LGBTQ+ Olympic hopefuls aiming to compete this winter in Milan. 

Team USA speed skater Conor McDermott-Mostowy was the guest of honor at the event, held at the Nike Training Studio in West Hollywood. McDermott-Mostowy recently won two medals at the US Speedskating Championships and is part of Team USA for the current ISU Speed Skating World Cup series.

West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers and City Councilmember John Heilman were in attendance with a City Proclamation honoring McDermott-Mostowy and his accomplishments.

McDermott-Mostowy knows intimately the importance financial issues take in the lives of Olympic hopefuls, as the United States government is one of the few that does not fund athletes.

“Talent and hard work are not enough to go to the Olympics,” McDermott-Mostowy said. “You need significant financial backing, and that requirement can make the Games inaccessible for many people. I think we’d all like to see more out athletes on the Olympic stage. In order to make that goal a reality, we need an entity like the Out Athlete Fund supporting the few out athletes that do exist.”

McDermott-Mostowy is the first out LGBTQ+ athlete financially supported by Out Athlete Fund.

“We are honored to be able to financially support Conor and alleviate some of the financial stress that he and other Olympic hopefuls experience,” said Haley Caruso, Board Vice President of Out Athlete Fund. “Our mission at Out AF is to enable athletes to focus more on their athletic performance, which will create more visibility for LGBTQ+ athletes around the world.”

In addition to supporting LGBTQ+ athletes, the organization will host a Pride House in West Hollywood during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.

“The opportunity to support out LGBTQ+ athletes like Conor with Pride House speaks to my lifelong love of sports,” said Pride House CEO Michael Ferrera. “Sports bring all communities together, and we at Pride House, with our support of out athletes like Conor, are part of that amazing story.”

Other special guests Saturday evening included Olympians Randy Garnder, Tai Babilonia and Robbie Manson; former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jeff Rohrer and his husband, skin-care expert Joshua Ross; NCAA champion coach Kirk Walker; former NCAA skier Ryan Quinn and his husband, Angel City FC executive Chris Fajardo.