Contents:
- FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, FISHG THE IRONMAN FULFILLS A DREAM
- FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SPORT HELPED HIM GET SOBER AND SAVED HIS LIFE
FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, FISHG THE IRONMAN FULFILLS A DREAM
TriOut is an affiliate triathlon team of the DC Triathlon Club that provis s gay, lbian, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBTQ) triathlete club members, and their iends, a fortable team atmosphere for trag, racg and socializg the Washgton, DC metro area. As the volunteer at the fish le placed a fisher’s medal and Hawaiian lei around my neck, I uldn’t help but thk about the long and wdg road that led me to that extraordary moment, a pivotal part of which was cidg to start livg life as my thentic self: a gay man.
FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SPORT HELPED HIM GET SOBER AND SAVED HIS LIFE
It also a hyper-mascule environment where differenc were not tolerated and the perfect place for me to further supprs any homosexual thoughts I was havg. Work was the only place where I was still closeted, though my close iends there knew I was gay and accepted me wh open arms. However, after a strg of homophobic ments ma by both -workers and suppliers’ reprentativ, I found myself both g out to my boss and HR and mand that thgs change.
Up to this pot both my profsnal reer and amatr sport reer, I had found a lack of gay or otherwise LIGBTQ+ role mols so I cid that if I uldn’t fd that for myself, I was at least gog to make sure that I beme that for someone else. Beg gay and beg an athlete are both such important parts of who I am, and I yearn for more reprentatn the sports that I love.