As a kid growing up, I didn't want to tell any of my classmates I did figure-skating because I knew they'd be like, 'Oh, you're a skater, you're gay, blah blah blah.' So I kept it to myself. Once I started getting to more of an elite level, I didn't really care what people thought, though.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a journey of self-acceptance and the courage to embrace one's identity despite societal judgment.
In this quote, Nathan Chen reflects on his childhood experiences with figure skating, highlighting the stigma and stereotypes associated with the sport. Initially, he felt the need to hide his passion due to fear of being judged by his peers. However, as he advanced to an elite level, he gained confidence and no longer cared about others' opinions, illustrating a significant personal transformation and the importance of self-acceptance.
In practice
In a discussion about overcoming societal stereotypes in sports.
Confidence comes in going on personal journeys in a public arena and feeling as though you have a right to do that. You have to give yourself permission to discover what you need to discover and not worry about how pretty the journey is. If you're aware of the pretty, you're not going to dig into the mess.
Sometimes people ask me how difficult the astronaut program was, but being in Sierra Leone, being responsible for the health of more than 200 people, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at age 26 - that prepared me to take on a lot of different challenges.
He was the up and equal homosexual who would not sit at the back of the bus.
I've always had this image of this strong, sprightly person who is undaunted by anything; on the contrary, I was one of the shyest, most unsure people you ever met in your life. But I have one very specific quality: I'm plucky. I really am. I would say that's a perfect description of my personality.
There is no power in the world that can stop the forward march of free men and women when they are joined in the solidarity of human brotherhood.
My strength comes from my abdomen. It's the center of gravity and the source of real power.
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