Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos

Leveling the Playing Field

Ensuring sports are accessible to everyone is central to this All-American’s legacy.

Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos has competed and succeeded at the highest levels in both academics and sports. In addition to being valedictorian of his class, Grahm is a snowshoe racing national champion, All-American, course record holder, and a member of the U.S. national team. He is a past member of the U.S. Development Team for Triathlon and has been ranked the best under-19-year-old Triathlete in the nation not once, but three times. He is a conference and state champion in various sports. And while he is without a doubt an elite competitor, he is passionately committed to ensuring that sports are accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to give them a try.

In the fall of 2019, Grahm was selected as Chairman of the Youth Diversity and Inclusivity National Conference sponsored by the Colorado High School Activities Association. He led a 23-person committee made up of students from the across his state to promote sports as a positive, unbiased institution offering a supportive atmosphere for all. Recognized as the first summit of its kind in the country, it was to be held in September 2020 with 350 student athletes in attendance. When COVID-19 made that impossible, it “allowed us to rethink and adapt our plan to convert it into an online forum,” says Grahm. “We are now able to expand it nationally in scope and promote our message of inclusivity across the country.”

While Grahm says the summit has “forever changed my perceptions and beliefs and molded me to better understand the barriers society has created,” inclusion has always been a priority. After a terrible experience as a sophomore competing on a team where the senior leaders allowed cliques, hazing, and general disrespect, he resolved to change the game when he became a leader himself. He brought together the upperclassman to “set goals, organize events, recruit new athletes, and build a team-first mindset where everyone cheered and we all won together.” When the pandemic hit, he didn’t let that quell the new environment he had helped create. Instead, he launched a positivity campaign with his teammates to keep the school community united and show gratitude for the teachers. It was such a successful program that other local schools adopted it. “The upheaval caused by COVID-19 has allowed me the opportunity to evaluate my priorities and understand what it means to be an athlete and teammate that can contribute in a positive way and effect change in those around me,” Grahm says. Through his passion, efforts, and ongoing commitment, Grahm is championing that change every day.