Polish Ski-Jumper Comes Out in Heartbreaking Instagram Post

metroweekly.com:

Facebook and Instagram accounts last week, writing that he hid his sexual orientation — and his relationship with his partner — from fans because he believed it would hinder his athletic career.The posts feature photos and short video clips of the couple being affectionate.“For a long time, I wondered if I would ever find the strength within myself to write these words,” Stekala wrote. “For years, I lived in the shadow of fear, in hiding, afraid that who I truly am might destroy me….For years, I lived in hiding, fearing that who I am could undermine everything I have worked so hard for.

But today, I no longer want to run away. I want you to really get to know me. I am gay. For years, I hid it from the world — from you, from the media, and sometimes even from myself.”Stekala said he met his now-deceased partner in 2016.“He was my rock, my support, my biggest cheerleader,” he wrote. “Together we shared life, passions, joys, and difficult times.

He was everything to me — my home, my heart. We loved each other in silence, hiding our love from the world to protect what was most important to us.“In November of last year, I lost him.

I can’t describe the pain that engulfed me. The world we built together has shattered into pieces. Every day without him is a struggle, but at the same time, a reminder of how boundlessly I loved and how deeply I was loved.”Stekala announced that he’d be starting “a new chapter” where he’d no longer hide his sexuality.“I no longer want to hide who I am,” he wrote.