In their own words: Trishna Patel

It wasn’t always this way—easy to be fully integrated with my truth. My exposure to the LGBTQ+ community started on the campus of a liberal arts university. It was the kind of elixir many might find abhorrent, however, it gave me the courage to fully accept all parts of myself and fight for these rights for others.

Initially, my Indian background made it challenging for me to live authentically when I would visit my home in the early years. I left Mumbai at age 12 to attend a tennis academy and chase my tennis dreams. In my teenage years, independence was thrust upon me and with that came agency over my decisions and identity. A brown young gay woman was at times “too much” for family, friends and colleagues. My teenage years sowed the seeds of embracing hardship, gaining self-confidence and finding my voice to swim against the tide. All of this paid off when my Indian family travelled to New York City to watch me wed my now ex-wife in 2012. That marriage also gave me my two beautiful boys, who I parent today.

I’m currently the director of the Ormond Beach Tennis Center in Florida, and my team and I create a safe space for everyone. Within the USTA family, I’m a director at large on the USTA Florida Section Board of Directors, co-chair of the Section’s Tennis Management Advisory Committee and a member of the Section’s Women in Tennis Committee. At the National level, I’m a member of the USTA’s Emerging Leaders Committee.

But more than my achievements in tennis, my greatest success continues to be authenticity, perseverance and self-confidence, as a result of the sum of my experiences.

Pride Month is necessary for creating community and confidence for those who may be struggling with aspects of leading a more integrated life. As an out member of my community, I create a safe space for my clients and athletes to be who they are while participating in the sport they love.