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Australian diver Matthew Mitcham has revealed to the media that he is gay as he prepares for the Beijing Olympics, according to Stuff. 

The gold medal hopeful’s journey has not been easy. Those close to him have seen Mitcham, 20, battle depression, retire in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then nine months later resume his sport and build himself into the champion he is today.

One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous journey is his partner, Lachlan.

Months before from the Games, Mitcham has taken the courageous step of revealing his sexuality to the media for the first time, in an exclusive interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. He has also applied for a grant through a Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Programme to have Lachlan near him in Beijing.

Mitcham thinks he would not be going to the Olympics if not for the hardship he endured.

“I probably wouldn’t have as much of a fighting spirit,” he said. ”The more you have experienced, the more you have to draw off. I look at the last 20 years as a long, winding path of lessons and some hardship. I hope the rest of my life isn’t straight because that could be boring. I hope it continues to wind, but maybe not so tumultuous. I hope I do have a long and winding path and more lessons to learn. I look forward to that.”

Here’s a quick news bit about Mitcham…

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