For gay triathlete, sport helped him get sober and also saved his life - Outsports

Contents:

• FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, FISHG THE IRONMAN FULFILLS A DREAM
• GAY TRIATHLETE EMBRAC HIS PLACE THE MUNY
• FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SPORT HELPED HIM GET SOBER AND SAVED HIS LIFE
• GAY GERMAN ATHLETE FOUND G OUT TRIATHLON MORE WELG THAN HE EXPECTED
• GAY TRIATHLETE GAVE UP BASEBALL FOR LOVE. NOW HE’S PETED AT THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPNSHIP
• FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SLURS ONLY MA HIM WORK HARR
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
• TEAM GB’S GOLD SH: I’M SO PROUD TO BE A GAY OLYMPIC CHAMPN, SAYS TOM DALEY

FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, FISHG THE IRONMAN FULFILLS A DREAM

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. 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.

GAY TRIATHLETE EMBRAC HIS PLACE THE MUNY

That moment marked a turng pot his cisn to be open about who he was as a gay man. I knew that the only way for me to live sober was also to live as a gay man, yet I was willg to take this to the grave.

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

I was gog to cross a new thrhold and fally claim my gay.

I’d ma lists about posive and negative reactns about beg gay. I knew I was gay, but I didn’t know whether I was ready to speak about my sport.

GAY GERMAN ATHLETE FOUND G OUT TRIATHLON MORE WELG THAN HE EXPECTED

They were all open to havg a gay teammate, and I had the feelg of beg safe this group of triathlet.

GAY TRIATHLETE GAVE UP BASEBALL FOR LOVE. NOW HE’S PETED AT THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPNSHIP

Every time I’ve spoken wh someone about me beg gay, more prsure and bad imag have been eed om my md.

This feelg beme stronger and stronger the followg years, and I felt more nfint to be an openly gay triathlete.

For the first time my life I said: I’m gay.

FOR GAY TRIATHLETE, SLURS ONLY MA HIM WORK HARR

Pl he wanted to make sure everybody saw him petg as an openly gay triathlete. However, now that he was beg fortable wh who he was as a gay man, Delacz no longer saw pro baseball as a path he wanted to pursue to the excln of all else. And then the other si was I’m not good enough to really make an impact beg a gay baseball player.

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

" "Homo. " "Gay. The are jt some of the few homophobic slurs I experienced high school and the athletic muny.

I am 18, a San Diego rint, and an openly gay triathlete. Comg out was very hard for me, not bee I was ashamed of who I was, but bee the stunts and athlet around me ma beg gay a negative thg to be.

Psg for a send, I knew this was a perfect chance to start h so I replied, "Nope, I’m gay. I believe the first thg about beg a gay athlete is that I’m jt a regular athlete.

TEAM GB’S GOLD SH: I’M SO PROUD TO BE A GAY OLYMPIC CHAMPN, SAYS TOM DALEY

But I’ve experienced that beg gay is somethg many people look down upon. If someone didn’t accept the fact that I am gay, that’s fe.