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" I hope that any gay kids see me as beacon of light, not just in sport but in general. "

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" You can be gay and be proud of that and not have to worry about being unsuccessful or unaccepted. "

" Hopefully, it gets to a point where, down the line, people don't have to come out. "

" I was insecure and ashamed. Unless you're gay, being gay has never been looked at as being cool. And I wanted to be cool. "

" I love that our country is one where you have the freedom to protest and to stand up for what you believe in and speak on it. "

" As a kid, I just felt like I didn't really have anyone to look up to that I felt like I could really relate to, someone that was out and gay and also competing in sports and finding success. "

" When you're able to be honest with yourself about who you are and finally can present your authentic true self to the world, you feel so much better about yourself, and it makes it easier for everyone else to feel better about you. "

" I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it being found out, it was a distraction. "

" I always felt like I had something to prove, like I had to work twice as hard to make sure I got it. I knew I didn't want to be a good skier. I wanted to be the best. "

" Since I came out of the closet, I've gotten to just really be myself and feel authentic and honest and genuine. It's just been a huge relief for me competitively. "

" I don't really have a specific Olympic crush. There were a couple of guys during the Olympics in Sochi that were super fit. And during the summer games, any of the sports where people have their shirts off if they're diving or swimming or whatever, it's like eye candy. "

" The thought of being the first openly gay male ever to compete in the Winter Olympics - I totally embrace that. "

" I've had knee trouble, and I worry about my shoulder, but I think my weakest link is my head. A helmet can only do so much, and I have seen the effects of brain injuries. That is a big fear. I think everyone's weakest link is their brain because it's their most fragile link. "

" It's a life I would have never been able to foresee for myself, but I'm so grateful for it, and I really just loved skiing as a kid, and it's crazy how far it's taken me. "

" I didn't even ski halfpipe until I was 14 because the resort where I lived didn't have one. So it wasn't always my favorite event, but I grew into it. "

" Competitors, even friends that would say things that were so homophobic, and - I don't think that they realized necessarily the impact that it was having on me, because I was in the closet, and I think that that's what made me really scared to come out. "

" I don't ever train half-pipe except for the short training sessions during events, and because of that, I have a really hard time consistently putting my runs down smoothly. "

" I realize how fortunate I am to have been able to make a life and career out of skiing. "

" I think that being in the closet is really hard. It takes a toll on your mind. It takes a toll on you. I think it just makes every aspect of your life more difficult. "

" I have felt so insecure about my body at times. I've been on every end of the spectrum. I felt like I was too skinny and wished I could be muscular. I've felt like I was chubby and wanted to be skinny. I think everybody suffers from body image issues. I might exude confidence sometimes, but I'm pretty insecure. "

" I spend so much of my time on the road and traveling. "

" My mom has been there for me in moments where I definitely needed her the most, and she has this inherent way of knowing exactly what to say and exactly how to talk to me, whatever the situation. "

" I was so stressed in the closet. In an interview, I was scared they were going to ask me about a crush, or the type of girl I liked, or whatever it was. And I was going to have to lie by omission. It was always in the back of my mind. "

" I don't think you necessarily have to be crazy-fit for freeskiing. So much of the sport has to do with agility and nimbleness and flexibility and other things. It's a lot of muscle memory - it's more like dance, in a way - it's technique more than strength or endurance. "

" There are so many animals in shelters that need homes. Rather than going to a breeder and buying a dog, or a puppy mill or anything like that, I've always been a big fan of adoption. "

" When I was in the closet, I had so much pressure on my shoulders. When I came out, that was actually the first moment I felt relieved of those stresses. It really showed in my skiing. "

" I'm so proud that now you can exist as a gay man and be an Olympian, and it can be beneficial rather than negative. So it's amazing. And I just think I feel so liberated now that I've been out of the closet for a while, and so I'm free in that I just get to be myself, speak freely, act freely, and I think that I am competing confidently. "

" One of the most exciting and unique parts of slopestyle is that every course is unique. You don't really know what to expect when you show up at an event, and it's always fun trying to put a run together. "

" I don't think that one thing defines me, but I know that by coming out the way that I did, sort of almost pioneering it in action sports - to take that stand - that it's always going to be a label that is stuck with me, and I know that I'll always be the 'gay skier,' and it actually doesn't bother me. "

" I always have at least one book with me. I try and read a book a month. "

" The Olympics is a cool opportunity to represent our country, which is amazing. But I have another community I am competing for, and that is the LGBT community. "