Freedom, finally. Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy came out as gay in the November issue of ESPN The Magazine, and shared his history-making cover story with fans via Instagram on Thursday, Oct. 22.
I am gay, Wow, it feels good to write those words.
For most of my life Ive been afraid to embrace that truth about myself, he wrote. Recently though, Ive gotten to the point where the pain of holding onto the lie is greater than the fear of letting go, and Im proud to finally be letting my guard down.
I pushed my feelings away in the hopes that it was a passing phase but the thought of being found out kept me up at night, he wrote. I constantly felt anxious, depressed and even suicidal.
Throughout his career, Kenworthy has made major waves in the extreme sports world, taking home a silver medal from the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, garnering the respect of fellow athletes, and even becoming the face of the X Games (he was just 19 the first time he competed).
While in Sochi, Kenworthy also saved and adopted the Sochi strays, five dogs that had been living just outside an Olylmpic media center. After posting a photo of himself cuddling with the pups, he made headlines and saw his social media numbers grow exponentially.
I knew I didnt want to be a good skier, he said in the interview. I wanted to be the best.
Now, though he is bracing for the impact of what his announcement might have on his sponsors and fans, he feels relieved to be genuine, finally.
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