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.
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.
FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SPORT HELPED HIM GET SOBER AND SAVED HIS LIFE
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.