Blake Skjellerup appears in a new documentary which tracks athletes and activists in the weeks leading up to, and after, the Sochi Winter Olympics. He hopes it will reignite conversation about the situation in Russia. Johhny Weir serves as the viewer’s guide in To Russia With Love, which examines the experiences of Olympic legends Billie Jean King and Greg Louganis, along with those of a new generation of athletes including Skjellerup, snowboarder Belle Brockhoff and ice hockey player Charline Labonté. While he narrowly missed an Olympic speed skating berth, the openly-gay Skjellerup spoke out about the Russian anti-gay propaganda law, calling for education rather than a boycott of the games. He says he was honoured to be involved. “The film captures an interesting time in my life and I am proud to share the screen with other lgbtadvocates and athletes. The biggest thing I learnt in this process is that everyone feels and experiences differently; the before and aftermath of the Sochi Olympics is still raw for many people.” Now based in New York with his fiancé, Skjellerup says there is a lot to be learned from the documentary, “and this film will help bring the conversation back to the issues quickly forgotten in Russia post Olympics". GayNZ.com staff - 28th October 2014