Andrzej Stękała, a ski jumper from the conservative town of Zakopane in the Polish Tatra Mountains, revealed that he is gay and had hidden his relationship with his beloved partner for years.
„My love story deserves the light, not the shadow," says Andrzej Stękała
The 29-year-old athlete shared on social media that his love story deserves to be in the light, not kept in the shadows. In response to the death of his partner, who passed away in November of last year, Stękała decided to share his story with his fans.
"I have long wondered if I would ever find the strength to write these words. For years, I lived in the shadow of fear, hiding, afraid that who I really am could destroy me," wrote Andrzej Stękała, admitting that this is the hardest confession of his life.
"For years, I lived in hiding, fearing that who I am could ruin everything I worked so hard for. But today, I no longer want to run away. I want you to really know me. I am gay. I have hidden this from the world – from you, from the media, and sometimes even from myself," he declared.
In 2016, he met someone who changed his life. "He was my rock, my support, my biggest fan. We shared our lives, passions, joys, and tough 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," he said in a moving post.
Andrzej Stękała's world shattered after the death of his beloved partner. Each passing day became both a struggle and a reminder of how deeply he loved and was loved.
Media worldwide cover the touching coming out of the Polish ski jumper
The athlete stated that with the new year, he wanted to start a new chapter in his life and no longer hide his orientation to live in harmony with himself. His heartfelt confession quickly made headlines not only in Poland but also in other countries.
The Swedish portal hant.se noted that the Polish ski jumper had hidden his relationship with another man for 9 years. Stękała's coming out was also covered by the Norwegian news service dagbladet.no and the Czech site evropa2.cz, part of a popular Czech radio station, Radio Evropa 2.
The German portal merkur.de noted that "the decision to come out is particularly courageous in Poland, a country with tense conditions for the LGBTI+ community."
The site pointed out that Amnesty International has repeatedly highlighted the difficult situation for people with non-heterosexual orientations in a country that has been at the forefront of the most homophobic countries in Europe for years.
"Sports should unite, not exclude," convinces Polish MEP
Polish ski jumper Stękała received support from left-wing MEP Robert Biedroń, who openly admits to being gay. The Polish politician emphasized that sports should unite, not exclude, and praised Stękała's courage in fighting against a system that forced him to "live in the shadows."
Andrzej Stękała made his World Cup debut in 2015, with his greatest individual success being third place at the Wielka Krokiew in Zakopane in 2021. He also won bronze medals as part of the team at the 2020 Ski Flying World Championships and the 2021 FIS Ski Jumping World Championships.
On February 13, 2021, Polish ski jumper Andrzej Stękała stands on the podium at the World Cup competition in Zakopane, Poland. He finished in second place, marking his first career podium at this level of competition. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot
Source: Instagram/@andrzejstekala/X/@PAPinformacje/@RobertBiedron/@szykom89/@Evropa2
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