As part of the Sydney Convicts, he helped the team win the international gay rugby tournament’s Bingham Cup.
He also trained as part of the Australian Winter Olympic bobsleigh team but, sadly, due to injury, was not able to compete.
A fierce advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, he spoke out publicly against homophobia in sport, encouraged HIV-testing among gay men, raised money for at-risk young LGBTQIA+ people, and was an ambassador for The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation among his many commitments.
He had a very high public profile, which he used for his advocacy work and activism.
He was also a great friend to DNA. He understood that his appeal to DNA readers gave him a platform to speak about important issues around men’s health and, particularly, mental health. Generous, he shared his own stories of struggle, and offered his time and creativity with photoshoots and feature stories and his own fitness column.
Simon had a steely resolve and when he set his mind to something, you knew he would get it done. That strength was somewhat camouflaged by his gentle nature. He was softly spoken and often appeared quite shy. Despite his high profile, his popularity and his success, he was incredibly humble. He encouraged others to take the spotlight but was always there when called upon. He had the potential to become a real leader in our community.
Whenever collaborating with DNA, he was hard-working but always quick with a smile and a laugh. In this newsletter, we pay tribute to Simon with some of his photoshoots and stories from previous issues.
We extend our sincerest condolences to Simon’s family, friends and loved ones.
On behalf of his DNA family, we love you, we will miss you, and we will never forget you.
Andrew Creagh
Founding Editor
