Make a difference with your time!Gus Kenworthyhas been known as both an athlete and an activist ever since the world first met him.
29-year-old freestyle skier still has a career that he enjoys, but he also keeps his passion for LGBTQ+ rights and animals, as well as his love for other causes. When he participated in the 2018 Winter Olympics, South Korea, his conviction was clear.
“I think the Olympics are a time for the world to come together and put aside differences, but we’re also coming to represent ourselves, our communities and our countries, so I think it’s important to stand up and be a voice,” He only told the truth. Us WeeklyFebruar 2018,
Kenworthy used his platform to do just that at the time and has continued to stand by his words from three years earlier. “Our country is a patchwork nation, so I want to make sure people remember that,” He stated. “The LGBT community has been so marginalized and underrepresented in so many ways and it’s more important than ever to stand up and be proud at these games.”
The England native’s desire to give back extends to animals too — he adopted his Jindo/Labrador mix, Birdie, from a South Korea dog meat farm in 2018.
“[I] leave her at home and she’ll, like, chew the lamp cord or stuff, so the whole place is puppy-proofed,” He told the story Contact UsAt the time. “Everything’s, like, on the top shelf. … Nothing is on the counter for her to be able to access. But she’s great.”
More recently, Kenworthy has been a source of support for Colton UnderwoodAfter the death of his former Bachelor, 29-year old Brian came out as gay earlier in the year. “It’s great for him to have another professional athlete who’s openly gay,” A source was revealed in April. “They have a lot of shared interest as well.”
The Will & GraceIn June, the alum shared their friendship. “He’s a really sweet guy. I mean, he’s, like, a baby gay,”He told the story Contact Us. “So he actually is kind of like a baby in this giant man’s body. He’s really just figuring out the ropes, figuring out himself. I don’t know, despite what anyone might think, he has truly the best of intentions and he’s very, very kindhearted.”
Want to see Kenworthy’s day in action? Continue scrolling down the photos to see how Kenworthy spends his day.