The Secret to Telling the Truth with Gus Kenworthy

In the last episode of Season Three of the Shared Podcast series, I'm excited to be able to share my conversation with a man who's getting a ton of media attention for all the right reasons. Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy has made headlines not only for his death-defying jumps and tricks on skis, but for his bravery in coming out as a gay man on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in an October 2015 cover story. He is widely viewed as the most visible LGBT action sports athlete in the country.

After the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where Gus earned a silver medal, he came home with one goal in mind: Telling the truth about his sexual identity. In this episode, the 26-year-old skier shares his decision to come out while still competing, and the loneliness that came along with living a life of deception. We also discuss the shame and fear that Gus felt as a younger man, and the ways he's fighting hate and bigotry by being his most authentic self.