Top 55 Gus Kenworthy Quotes

The thought of being the first openly gay male ever to compete in the Winter Olympics – I totally embrace that.

I would probably say Breckenridge has the best park out of any resort. They build the best jumps, they have fun rails, and the pipe is well kept, too.

Competitors, even friends that would say things that were so homophobic, and – I don’t think that they realized necessarily the impact that it was having on me, because I was in the closet, and I think that that’s what made me really scared to come out.

The Olympics is a cool opportunity to represent our country, which is amazing. But I have another community I am competing for, and that is the LGBT community.

Since I came out of the closet, I’ve gotten to just really be myself and feel authentic and honest and genuine. It’s just been a huge relief for me competitively.

My mom has been there for me in moments where I definitely needed her the most, and she has this inherent way of knowing exactly what to say and exactly how to talk to me, whatever the situation.

I don’t think that one thing defines me, but I know that by coming out the way that I did, sort of almost pioneering it in action sports – to take that stand – that it’s always going to be a label that is stuck with me, and I know that I’ll always be the ‘gay skier,’ and it actually doesn’t bother me.

I was insecure and ashamed. Unless you’re gay, being gay has never been looked at as being cool. And I wanted to be cool.

I don’t think you necessarily have to be crazy-fit for freeskiing. So much of the sport has to do with agility and nimbleness and flexibility and other things. It’s a lot of muscle memory – it’s more like dance, in a way – it’s technique more than strength or endurance.

I look at photos of the Sochi Olympics – even though it sometimes seems like it was just yesterday – that photo doesn’t even look like me. It looks like a child. I don’t even recognize myself.

My family’s dog, when I was growing up, was an adopted dog that I got in a shelter for my birthday. I’ve always felt really strongly about adopting animals and trying to save animals’ lives.

The world that I would want to get into would be acting. In the beginning, I would do stuff as myself if I had the opportunity to host events – host, like, a talk show. Something like that, I think, would be super amazing.

One of the most exciting and unique parts of slopestyle is that every course is unique. You don’t really know what to expect when you show up at an event, and it’s always fun trying to put a run together.

Someone coming out as gay shouldn’t be newsworthy; it shouldn’t be warranting a magazine cover or anything like that, which I had as my story for coming out.

I think it’s so important to have visibility and to break down stereotypes and stigmas and everything that people are so attached to.

When you’re able to love and appreciate and take pride with yourself, that makes everything easier. It makes it easier to train, it makes it easier to be in the gym, and it makes it easier for everyone else to accept and love you.

I’ve been through stretches of my life where I’ve been super focused on what I’m eating, and then you’re on the road, and you end up eating a lot of carbs and tacos.

I’m not super superstitious, but if I listen to a song and then I do well, then that becomes my song for however long it works for.

The chance of messing up and falling significantly increases when you’re flipping through the air three times while spinning and trying to grab your skis.

I’m not one of those people who can eat whatever I want and never go to the gym. I have to work hard for any results I see.

I wound up adopting two dogs from Sochi. It wasn’t really me who brought them home as much as it was one of my best friends, Robin Macdonald, who was out there with me.

There are so many animals in shelters that need homes. Rather than going to a breeder and buying a dog, or a puppy mill or anything like that, I’ve always been a big fan of adoption.

I’m proud to be from a country where I can speak up.

More than I’ve wanted anything, I’ve wanted to do well at the X Games.

I realize how fortunate I am to have been able to make a life and career out of skiing.

When I was in the closet, I had so much pressure on my shoulders. When I came out, that was actually the first moment I felt relieved of those stresses. It really showed in my skiing.

All I can really say is to encourage anybody who’s in the closet to come out, and congratulate anyone who has.

I was so stressed in the closet. In an interview, I was scared they were going to ask me about a crush, or the type of girl I liked, or whatever it was. And I was going to have to lie by omission. It was always in the back of my mind.

I’ve gotten a lot of messages from kids struggling with their identity and sexuality, whether it’s because they’re in a religious family or a small town or a sport that’s not very accepting. I’ve had a ton of outreach, and I’ve tried to get back to kids as best I could.

Miley Cyrus followed me, tweeted at me. We started messaging; we traded numbers. She’s become like a friend. She’s super supportive of me being gay.

For me, as a kid, I always felt like being gay was something that was going make people turn on me.

You don’t want to be defined by one thing. But at the same point… When you are the first in something, that’s gonna kinda be the title that sticks. And after Sochi, I was, like, the dog guy. Now I’m the gay guy, and it’s fine by me.

The only way to really change perceptions, to break down barriers, break down homophobia, is through representation. That’s definitely not something I had as a kid. I never saw a gay athlete kissing their boyfriend at the Olympics. I think if I had, it would’ve made it easier for me.

You can be gay and be proud of that and not have to worry about being unsuccessful or unaccepted.

I would honestly say the biggest thing for cold weather is a good face moisturizer with SPF. Winters are harsh, wind chill’s real, and, a lot of the time, it’s a really dry climate, and so your lips will crack, your face will start to get dry, your nose will peel; it’s easy to get sunburnt, windburnt.

I don’t really have a specific Olympic crush. There were a couple of guys during the Olympics in Sochi that were super fit. And during the summer games, any of the sports where people have their shirts off if they’re diving or swimming or whatever, it’s like eye candy.

I spend so much of my time on the road and traveling.

When you’re able to be honest with yourself about who you are and finally can present your authentic true self to the world, you feel so much better about yourself, and it makes it easier for everyone else to feel better about you.

I didn’t even ski halfpipe until I was 14 because the resort where I lived didn’t have one. So it wasn’t always my favorite event, but I grew into it.

I have felt so insecure about my body at times. I’ve been on every end of the spectrum. I felt like I was too skinny and wished I could be muscular. I’ve felt like I was chubby and wanted to be skinny. I think everybody suffers from body image issues. I might exude confidence sometimes, but I’m pretty insecure.

I’ve always been someone who’s had to compartmentalize my life because I was in the closet, and I was in fear of outing myself. I always had so much going on in my mind and couldn’t share it with anyone, so I actually feel like, now that I’m out, I have less to compartmentalize.

If people are hiding their sexuality, they don’t really get their full selves, so you can sometimes feel like you’re presenting sort of like a fogged version of yourself.

I don’t think there’s a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it being found out, it was a distraction.

Hopefully, it gets to a point where, down the line, people don’t have to come out.

Getting to be authentic is so liberating.

My diet doesn’t change regardless of whether or not I’m competing. It’s not that strict, either. I try not to eat too much dessert or too many sugary things, like bread or pasta. But I’m not crazy, and I’ll eat pasta if that’s what someone if making. It’s all about trying to find a balance and eat healthy.

Growing up, I always wanted kids, and that was one of the things that made it hard for me to accept being gay, but now I know it’s totally an option to have kids.

Having an Olympic medal validates that you can be a successful freeskier… It’s like a credential that sticks with you the rest of your life.

I’m representing the LGBT community, and I want to do well for them.

I spent 24 years in the closet wanting to talk so desperately about who I was and what I am but too afraid to.

I’ve had knee trouble, and I worry about my shoulder, but I think my weakest link is my head. A helmet can only do so much, and I have seen the effects of brain injuries. That is a big fear. I think everyone’s weakest link is their brain because it’s their most fragile link.

I love Kim Chi the drag queen from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ but I’m not sure about the food.

It’s a life I would have never been able to foresee for myself, but I’m so grateful for it, and I really just loved skiing as a kid, and it’s crazy how far it’s taken me.