Your Daily (Gay) Athlete

[LoveNDino]

Connor Mertens

http://crow.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/mertens.jpeg

http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/ncaa-fb/images/2014/09/18/091814-CFB-Willamette-Conner-Mertens-PI-CH.vresize.1200.675.high.19.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/30/article-2548760-1B0B677800000578-475_634x422.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Chandler Whitney

with his boyfriend, yesterday’s out athlete…

http://www.thevitalvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Web-Window_Baseball-boys.jpg

http://s79f01z693v3ecoes3yyjsg1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/AOUTTOWIN1.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Mitch Eby

http://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/n50/n50lcs-b8853431z.120140503130724000gje1rl56.10.jpg?w=620

http://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/n50/n50lcs-b8853431z.120140503130724000gje1rl54.10.jpg?w=620

http://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/n50/n50lct-b8853431z.120140503130724000gje1rl4u.10.jpg?w=620

[LoveNDino]

Rob Kearney

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2237878/thumbs/o-ROB2-570.jpg?1

and with boyfriend...

http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rob-kearney-strongman-competitor-comes-out__oPt.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Tanner Wilfong

http://www.themiamihurricane.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SEN_Tanner_VM-1.jpg

On the left...

and boyfriend Jamie Bissett

together...

http://imageslogotv-a.akamaihd.net//uri/mgid:uma:image:logotv.com:11132626?quality=0.8&format=jpg&height=495&width=660

[LoveNDino]

Brian Vahaly

http://www.brianvahaly.com/photoalbum/bv_01.jpg

http://www.tennisroundup.com/events/2005/2005_%20Millennium%20ITC%20Delray/Gallery%201/W1539_ITC05SunQualiesNmd.JPG

with husband

[LoveNDino]

Robert Newton

http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bion1/newton03/newt2.jpg

http://c8.alamy.com/comp/HXRK2G/robert-newton-110-metres-hurdles-alexander-stadium-birmingham-england-HXRK2G.jpg

http://www.in-focus.co.uk/ath_thumb//atl1380.jpg

http://c8.alamy.com/comp/HXRP4W/robert-newton-110-metres-hurdles-manchester-regional-arena-manchester-HXRP4W.jpg

http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/309f19412bd545fd8184077765b1075b/robert-newton-great-britain-athens-greece-24-august-2004-hajbf8.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Stephen Rhodes

 

Stephen Rhodes (born March 27, 1984) is an American stock car racing driver. A former competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he is seeking to return to competition in the sport. When he made his debut in 2003, he became the first openly gay driver to compete in a NASCAR national touring series event.

 

Rhodes was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he attended Rosewood High School. Rhodes is openly gay. He came out at age seventeen, one year before he made his NASCAR Truck Series debut. He co-owns Brown Bag Cafe and Matchbox Restaurant & Bar in Goldsboro with his husband, Andy Mitchell. They were married in Manhattan on July 3, 2013. Rhodes currently resides on Maui.

 

 

http://www.newnownext.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Evan-Darlingsm.jpg

http://racetimecollectibles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Stephen-Rhodes-Nascar.jpg

Edited September 1, 2017 by LoveNDino

[LoveNDino]

Wyatt Pertuset (in his own words)

 

A gay football player.

 

Even today it seems to be something very rare in the game.

 

Growing up, football was always my outlet to get out whatever I had built up inside me. When those pads came on, I felt at home.

 

I started playing football in third grade, and I still fall more in love with the game every year I play.

 

I grew up in a very small town called Richwood, Ohio, and graduated with a class size of barely 100 students. In high school I never had a problem with standing out. I made friends with everyone and tried to stay positive and nice to every kid in the school.

 

My coming-out story is a little different from many others you see today. Freshmen and sophomore year of high school I knew I was gay, but the thought of anyone knowing that part of me was single-handedly the most terrifying thought in my head, especially growing up with a family full of farmers who weren’t really exposed to that kind of thing yet.

 

I was always terrified with the locker room talk that went on about gays and how gross they are and how wrong being gay is. Yes, that talk was there. It just pushed me further into the back of the closet.

 

I always told myself I would never come out until I was done with high school and football.

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

My junior year of high school, right after my season had finished up, I had told only about five people who I truly was. Being in a small school, word traveled fast. Someone I had told had “accidentally” told another person about me being gay. Before long the rumor had stretched out to most, if not all, faculty and students at my school.

 

The football player was gay.

 

The news of the rumor left me thinking. Why was I lying about who I am just to please everybody else?

 

Everyone was so accepting and loving that I just felt foolish for ever hiding who I am.

 

The next day I came out and confirmed the rumors. After telling my friends and coaches and family, everyone was so accepting and loving that I just felt foolish for ever hiding who I am.

 

The people at my school quickly realized that, with one of the captains of the football team being gay, it really doesn’t define you. It’s simply a part of who you are. My teammates took it really well and didn’t treat me the slightest bit differently.

 

If anything, I got more respect because of it.

 

My senior year came along, and I was determined to make the most of it. That year in school was the best year I have ever had. I was on the honor roll both semesters, I was named homecoming king and prom king, and I was also voted as our student body president for my final year.

 

Wyatt Pertuset was a top player for North Union High School in Ohio.

 

It went even better for me on the field. I set a goal to be one of the first openly gay athletes to get an All-State Honor for football in the state of Ohio. With wrapping up my final season I did just that. I was named to the first team All-Conference, First Team All-District and Special Mention All-Ohio.

 

Being given those honors was such a great experience for me and really gave me a huge confidence boost.

 

After my senior season had finished up I had started to delve deeper into what college I was going to attend. There were many colleges that I found to be good contenders, but once I stepped on Capital University’s campus I fell in love.

 

I went to Capital on a visit because I was being recruited at the time. The players, coaches and all-around environment were so very welcoming and made me feel right at home. I signed my letter of commitment shortly after my visit and was ready to move on from my small town to take on Columbus.

 

Capital Univ. is a small Division 3 private school that is a part of the Ohio Athletic Conference, which includes football national semifinalists John Carroll and Mount Union.

 

At camp that summer, I was way more nervous about having to tell my new teammates that I was gay. I was so worked up about it the night before that I even had the thought of just going straight back in the closet. I decided to not even mention it and just let them find out.

 

After only a few days everyone knew, and everyone was so accepting. They treated me like family.

 

After only a few days everyone knew, and everyone was so accepting. They treated me like family. I’m so thankful for my teammates at Capital because just by creating that family-type bond, I am able to excel on and off the field during my college career.

 

My first year of college football was the time of my life. I started the season getting the chance to play on special teams and getting some reps at receiver.

 

After the first two games we had an injury on the team that gave me the opportunity to become the starting punter. I ended the season with a career high for a punt – 54 yards – and dropping four punts inside the 20.

 

My goal for next season is to be one of the first openly gay football players in the NCAA to score a touchdown and receive an All-Conference honor.

 

If you are in the closet and also an athlete and you’re reading this, I want you to know that coming out is not as scary as you make it out to be. It is the most relieving experience you’ll ever come to term with.

 

You finally get to be yourself and show people that the LGBT community knows how to play ball too.

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http://eikonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Wyatt-Pertuset-.jpeg

[LoveNDino]

Mike Verschuur

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3mJ6qS77Qo/UP6jWgRwWMI/AAAAAAAAdrM/M6SkNBK1UcA/s1600/MikeVerschuur.jpg

http://www.carbonevents.nl/uploads/slides/_thumbs/__2013-12-09mrf-11274.jpg

http://cms.autosport.nl/images/stories/2011/Internationaal/Europese%20Clio%20Cup/Barcelona/mike_verschuur_europese_clio_2011.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Kyle Kurdziolek

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rms-rmfiles-production/client_photos/athlete_233258_profile.jpg

Kyle Kurdziolek is a scholarship football player on the University of St. Francis’ football team. He recently came out to his family, friends, coaches and teammates.

 

Growing up, Kurdziolek was worried what others would think. He suppressed his sexuality through his teen years even though he knew he was gay since middle school.

 

“Growing up in Streator, you know, it was a very small time, a very small-minded town, so I didn’t feel welcome at first there just-because I knew who I was as a person around middle school,” he told ABC 7 in a new interview. “And as soon as that hit me and just being around a lot of my friends, a lot of their parents, it wasn’t a mentality or attitude that was really accepted at the time, and I didn’t feel comfortable in my own shoes.”

However something changed within Kurdziolek. Courageously, the linebacker started to come out last year. After slowly telling family and friends, he decided to tell his coach Joe Curry and teammates at St. Francis, a catholic university.

 

“I was completely 100 percent happy for him. You know, everybody in their life desires to be part of something and be happy, and Kyle’s no different,” Curry said.

 

With two years of eligibility left, Kurdziolek cites his inspiration for coming out as Michael Sam. However, unlike Kurdziolek, Sam didn’t come out until after he was finished with college.

 

“I feel so relieved now, like, I’m so happy about the person I am today, just being able to get that off my chest and feel comfortable about who I am. I don’t have to hide behind this mask anymore, I don’t have to conform to some norm anymore. I can be Kyle Kurdziolek, I can be who I want to be and without no restrictions,” Kurdziolek said.

[LoveNDino]

Colin Jackson

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38952000/jpg/_38952899_colintrack203300.jpg

Years after denying he was gay, Olympic medalist Colin Jackson comes out. Jackson was a two-time World Champion hurdler.

 

Colin Jackson won two World Championships as a hurdler. Colin Jackson, the former Olympic silver medalist and two-time World Champion hurdler, has come out publicly as gay in an interview with a Swedish television program on SVT. Jackson is now a commentator for the BBC, who must be scratching their heads why he didn’t decide to come out on one of their shows.

 

In the SVT interview, Jackson talks about coming out to his parents about a decade ago and finding nothing but support from them.

 

In 2008, Jackson responded publicly to persistent speculation about his sexual orientation saying he was not gay.

 

"It's only people who don't know you who say things like that — not people who do know you,” he said at the time. “They are not in my life at all, so it makes no difference to me.”

 

In this latest TV interview, Jackson said he lied publicly about his sexual orientation because he didn’t want anyone to sensationalize his personal life.

 

When asked why he was coming out now, he praised the interviewers — Kajsa Bergqvist and Peter Häggström — for wanting to share his bigger story instead of just making splashy headlines.

 

“The way you asked me,” he said to them, “was a whole storytelling kind of thing and you were just interested in how it affected me sport-wise, emotionally wise, preparation-wise.”

 

Jackson joins a very long list of Olympians who have come out as LGBTI, including various male British Olympians like John Curry, Tom Daley and Tom Bosworth.

http://i1.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article11655588.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Omore.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/08/01/1406932480918_wps_3_COLIN_JACKSON_OF_GREAT_BR.jpg

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/2903613/450full-colin-jackson.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Connor Taras

http://vadamagazine.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/connor-b-1.jpg

http://djnzwlw55sn6l.cloudfront.net/uploads/b1beda474ba9b8bb75321494c2789f4f/Taras_NTT2__2010_1.JPG

[LoveNDino]

Cason Crane

Crane is the oldest of five children born to David W. Crane, the president of NRG Energy, and Isabella de la Houssaye, an international lawyer, in Mercer County, New Jersey. He lived in Hong Kong between the ages of one and six before returning to Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He is an American mountain climber. In 2013, he became the first openly gay mountaineer to scale the Seven Summits.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1172654/images/o-CASON-CRANE-facebook.jpg

Crane summited his first mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, as a 15-year-old freshman in high school with his mother. He described it as a "gateway mountain" which piqued his interest in mountaineering. As a junior, following the suicides of Tyler Clementi and one of Crane's friends, he was inspired to raise awareness about suicide among LGBT youth through mountain climbing. This led him to start the Rainbow Summits Project, with the goal of climbing the Seven Summits—the highest mountains of each continent—in order to raise funds and awareness for the Trevor Project.

 

By the beginning of 2013, a year after starting the Rainbow Summits Project, Crane had successfully climbed five of the Seven Summits: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Elbrus in Russia, Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina, Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia and Vinson Massif in Antarctica. In May 2013, he reached the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal, guided by New Zealand climber Lydia Bradey, the first woman to summit Everest without using supplemental oxygen. Crane's successful ascent of Mount McKinley in July 2013 at the age of 20 marked his completion of the Seven Summits, making him the first openly gay man to have done so. By the completion of the project, Crane had raised US$135,000 for the Trevor Project.[

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqbTX1X1xiM/UaVCKg3i-jI/AAAAAAAAAj0/BIzKQvKhP0o/s1600/418754_10151029326042596_2041965010_n.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Anthony Bowens

Goofy video with boyfriend spurs pro wrestler to come out

[LoveNDino]

Brian Anderson

http://img.wennermedia.com/article-leads-horizontal/rs-brian-anderson-d66a48db-49c1-4a02-8478-b16baa33e750.jpg

http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BrianAndersonSmokingBenColen.jpg

http://fourtwonine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-11-at-10.03.43-AM.png

and with his husband,

http://media.tmz.com/2016/12/29/1229-brian-anderson-same-sex-marriage-instagram-4.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Roberto Bertolini

http://cdn.gay.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/roberto-bertolini-new-2.jpg

http://cdn.gay.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/roberto-bertolini-new-1.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Mark Bingham, a true hero for our times. I hope we take a minute and remember him today, on 9/11.

To learn more, click here

http://markbingham.com/friend/f021.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Spencer Wilton

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Spencer+Wilton+Equestrian+Dressage+Team+GB+gbzuPsZCOS9l.jpg

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/resources/images/5364159/

http://www.spencerwiltondressage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/16299248_1780298772294021_1898513183866993420_n-200x200.jpg

http://www.spencerwiltondressage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1471072183266.jpg-brimpton_s_spencer_wilton_wins_silver_in_team_dressage.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Ryan Jordan Santana

Gay baseball player Ryan Jordan Santana has struggled to come to terms with being gay. Now he's ready to be his true self. On TLC's 'This Is Life Live,' Santana came out on live TV to his mother, and also told two of his teammates. Each of the teammates reacted differently, one getting very emotional.

http://www.starobserver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ryan-jordan-santana.jpg

http://www.baseballjobsoverseas.com/internationalbaseballcommunity/wp-content/uploads/cache/2016/01/Santana-cover/2982407680.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Ayrton Kasemets

http://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Ayrton-Kasemets-at-Chicago-Pride-Outsports.jpg

http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/images/publications/wct/2016-09-20/ayrton2.jpg

http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/images/publications/wct/2016-09-20/ayrton4.jpg

[LoveNDino]

Matthew Greenfield

At his wedding

[LoveNDino]

Macoy McLaughlin

http://www.nicathletics.com/_img/roster/2014-2015/msoccer/macoymclaughlinkkkl2qeq.mhi.JPG

[+ poolboy48220]

Matthew Greenfield

A gay gymnast with hairy chest. Be still my heart.

[LoveNDino]

Mason Darrow

http://goprincetontigers.com/images/2016/10/26/sidearm_Darrow_ASL.jpg

http://i.dailyherald.com/stories/350/normal/350376.jpg