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Tom Daley offers hope to LGBT youth: ‘You can achieve anything’
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Tom Dealy, the British diver, and a television personality has recently encouraged young men and women of the LGBTQ+ community to stand for what they believe in and to pursue their dreams no matter what.
AN OLYMPIC GOLD
The 27-year-old British diver won his first-ever senior Olympics gold medal on Monday at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, representing Great Britain said that he “didn’t think” he would ever be an Olympic champion being a “gay man” but was thrilled to have achieved his lifelong dream of winning the gold.
After having achieved his dream, Tom now hopes that he can inspire other LGBT youth to feel like they can “achieve anything” as well.
“I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger, I didn’t think I’d ever achieved anything because of who I was. To be an Olympic champion now just shows that you can achieve anything.”, said Tom, speaking after his win alongside diving partner Matty Lee.
“In terms of our athletes, there are more openly out athletes at these Olympic Games than any Olympic Games previously. I came out in 2013, and when I was younger, I always felt like the one that was alone and different and didn’t fit. There was something about me that was never going to be as good as what society wanted me to be. I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. You can achieve anything.”, he added.
HUSBAND
Despite bagging the gold for Britannia, Tom insisted that his career is far from over. However, he said that he would be taking a long-awaited and well-deserved break from the hectic schedule to spend quality time with his husband Dustin L Black and their three-year-old son Robbie.
Tom is married to the American film director and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who is 20 years older than Tom. The two first met years back in 2013, and they soon moved in together after a year of dating.
A LIFE LONG DREAM
In a post-match interview, Tom said, “It’s been the most amazing, life-changing journey for me, and I can’t wait to go and see them, my husband and my son, to give them a big hug and be able to celebrate on this incredible journey that it has been.”
“You want to win an Olympic gold medal but never think you actually will. I will carry on, but I will definitely take a break. There are some beverages with my name on them to celebrate with my husband and family.”, he added with a big smile.
Tom Daley, the olympian who also won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, was one of the poster boys for the Britain Olympic squad this summer. A consistent performer, he has secured gold for his country in the Commonwealth Games and also won first place in the FINA World Championships in 2017.
COMING OUT
Coming out of the closet in 2013 via a YouTube video, Tom Daley is an inspiration for every youth out there, no matter their sexuality. And in times when homophobia is still surprisingly a “thing”, we hope that Tom Daley’s efforts for his country will be able to change a lot of conservative minds. While most liberals and progressives believe that a person should be allowed to choose sexual orientation and partner based on their liking, and there should not really be such a fuss about it, there is still a stigma surrounding homosexuals even in Europe.
We wish Tom all the very best in his career and hope to see him achieve even bigger things in life.
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