A top CrossFit athlete just came out as gay in a highly emotional video on Instagram.
Alec Smith has already proven himself as a worthy competitor in the CrossFit Games, placing second overall at this year’s games, and having an overall ranking in the top 100 worldwide and top 50 in the United States. At 26, he’s accomplished a lot, but coming out was a whole new challenge for him.
“It’s been a struggle, it really has. My whole life, I’ve known that I was different. When I was 12 years old, I knew that I was attracted to guys, and I hated myself for being attracted to guys,” he admitted.
Smith shared that he hid who he was for many years, both from the world and even from himself, citing an interest in sports as a way to distract himself from who he really was.
But eventually, denying his identity and and keeping his feelings to himself took a toll on his mental health and he realized something had to change.
“After I told one of my closest friends, it just led me to telling more and more of my friends,” he explained. “And truly just talking about it helped so much.”
Now, Smith is comfortable enough with himself and with being gay that he wants to encourage others who might be struggling the same way he did.
“It’s easy to let fear and anxiety take over your life. But when you’re finally able to be yourself, your life will change, and it will change for the better. This past year I’ve been able to be myself, and it truly has been one of the best years of my life,” he said.
“And I’m excited for the years to come.”
