Julia Gunther
Michelle and Barry de Boer, Fletcher Hotel, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Newlyweds. August 2021.
Newlyweds Michelle and Barry de Boer sit for a wedding portrait in the Queens Room of the Fletcher Hotel in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Behind them, a portrait of Dutch queen, Wilhelmina.
Michelle is the offensive line center for the Amsterdam Cats, the top team in the Queens Football League (QFL). Barry is the team's offensive coach. The photographer took pictures at their wedding as part of a photo-story about the QFL during their 2020-2021 season. Disrupted by COVID-19 and marred by forfeited games and injuries, the QFL barely managed to complete the season, with the Cats winning the Queens Bowl, the QFL's version of the Super Bowl.
The Queens Football League is the only all-women, American football league in the Netherlands. Its 6 teams are coached by volunteers, and as there is no professional league in The Netherlands, the QFL is the 'highest level' a female athlete can reach.
