When Rohle began swimming as a sophomore at Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls, NY, he would dress in dark colors to hide in the crowd. He felt different and people would push him away because he was gay.
"I never thought I would be treated differently being gay but I was," he recalled. "I lost a lot of my guy friends because they were embarrassed to be friends with the gay kid. It was really hard because I was coming out to my family and friends and in return I would lose friends."
Swimming helped Rohle find the acceptance he longed for.
"When I started swimming, I felt accepted," he said. "It turned out I was actually good at the sport so I pursued a college with a swim team and a nursing program."
Although Rohle was eager for a fresh start, the transition to Adelphi University wasn't easy at first. The 5'9" blue eyed, blonde haired swimmer felt the stares when he walked into the locker room for the first time.
"I felt nervous because I did not want the guys to feel like I was going to make a move on them or something," Rohle said.
But, as Rohle succeeded in swimming, he felt himself becoming comfortable in his own skin. He eventually began to take on a leadership role on the team. One of his greatest accomplishments was bringing his team together, he said.
Before he joined the team, members used to be divided by gender, with boys interacting only with boys, girls interacting with other girl teammates and everyone going about their own business after practice.
Rohle, along with the other new freshman, helped make team members a more cohesive unit. No longer do the teammates only communicate at practice, they have formed friendships outside the pool. Now, after practice, the team spends time bonding over dinner or having a night out at the movies.
Read the full story HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment