“Like a Weight Has Lifted”: Nick Albiero on Coming Out
In the past, Nick Albiero had been grappling with how he should make his announcement on social media. Although his family and close friends were already aware of his sexual orientation, he believed it was necessary to come out publicly. The University of Louisville graduate realized that he couldn’t continue hiding this aspect of his identity from the wider world. Fortunately, his loved ones responded with love, support, and acceptance. Now, Albiero intends to live more authentically, and he hopes that this newfound freedom will have a positive impact on his performance, both in and out of the water, as he works towards qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
In a recent interview with Team USA, Albiero expressed that it took him some time to truly feel liberated by being his authentic self. However, one factor that helped ease the process was not having to be a trailblazer alone. While there is a lack of LGBTQ+ representation in the field of swimming, he pointed to Erica Sullivan’s remarkable achievement in becoming the first openly gay swimmer on a U.S. Olympic swim team. Sullivan’s participation in the 2021 Olympic Games shattered the stigma that coming out negatively impacts athletic performance. Remarkably, she won a silver medal in the 1,500 freestyle in Tokyo and had an outstanding career at the University of Texas, where she and Albiero were teammates during the World Juniors in 2017.
Albiero admitted that his public coming out experience has relieved him of various pressures. His sentiments parallel those of Markus Thormeyer, a two-time Canadian Olympian who also shared similar insights about how his decision to come out influenced his performance. Albiero highlighted that he now feels less pressure because he knows he has the unwavering support of an entire community, regardless of his results in the pool. He recognizes that he is no longer solely representing his team but also the LGBTQ+ community, and he has garnered more allies than ever before.
To read the full interview, please visit Team USA’s website.
