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British swimmer Dan Jervis surprised many a few days ago. Namely, Jervis admitted in an interview with BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast that he is gay and that this has affected his life and quality of life. "I look in the mirror and I like who I am" "It was something in the back of my mind, bugging me.
I thought I was bisexual and had girlfriends that I loved - but it came to about three years ago where I knew I had to deal with this. "It wasn't affecting my swimming, but me as a human being. It sounds quite drastic, but I wasn't enjoying my life.
Yeah, I was smiling, but there was something missing to make me properly happy." Jervis decided to admit it to his best friend and some other friends, and the reactions were positive. "She [his best friend] was quite shocked but great, and it was exactly the reaction I wanted.
I've had all good reactions, and the way I've described it is I'm not going to change as a person. I'm still the Dan you've always known. You just know something else about me now."
Nick McCarthy did the same thing
Nick McCarthy, a great rugby player, also admitted a few days ago that he was gay.
"It affected me so much that I agonised over my future and contemplated walking away from rugby altogether because I just didn't think I could come out while playing rugby. "I needed to accept being gay myself before I could address it with others.
I have great friends in rugby but I didn't know how they would take it. My experience, since coming out though has been entirely positive. I have realised that anyone who cares about you, just wants you to be happy."- McCarthy said.
Jervis, observing other celebrities, decided to do the same. "Michael Gunning is a swimmer and an absolute legend, and he said I should come on to this show," he added. "I messaged hammer thrower Osian Jones about it as well.
He is happy after all, because he has finally revealed his biggest secret. "I also heard Mark Foster say on your podcast that he wanted to add his weight to making people's lives better, and I feel that as well. When I was younger in swimming, I wasn't aware of any out swimmers so didn't have anyone I could look to who was like me.
I want to be that person for someone." "It took 24 years to be who I was, but now I'm happy," he concluded. "I look in the mirror and I like who I am."
