Paralympian Dimitri Pavadé comes out as gay
September 12, 2024Dimitri Pavadé of France made a powerful statement for his home country by publicly coming out as gay shortly after securing fourth place in the men’s long jump at the Paralympics in Paris, ‘Huff Post’ reports.
Pavadé, who claimed a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competed again in the men’s long jump T64 category final on Wednesday, where he narrowly missed a bronze medal by just 0.06 meters. On Saturday, he posted a photo on Instagram, smiling and holding rainbow-coloured interlocking male symbols, announcing his coming out in the caption.
Image Credit: Canva
“Another fight awaits me now, and I was impatiently waiting for this moment. Here I am today, ready once again to face, overcome and move forward without taking into account what others may say or think of me,” Pavadé expressed, according to a Google-translated version from French to English.
He added, “Yes, I am SMALL, MIXED-RACE, ONE-LEGGED, and to add another layer, GAY! The person I am and, like others, never had to make a choice. So stop with your pitiful speeches and your judgments without reasoning because you will never change the world.”
In 2007, Pavadé, originally from Réunion, a French island approximately 422 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, was injured on Christmas Eve in his hometown when a forklift truck struck him, according to the official Olympics website.
The accident resulted in the amputation of his right leg’s tibia. Determined to walk again without assistance, he later discovered para athletics and learned to run and jump with a blade.
His journey led to his current role as a long jumper for France, representing the country in the European and World Championships along with the Paralympics in recent years.
In his Instagram announcement, Pavadé expressed his desire to be “the icon of people with disabilities” and to be a leader within the LGBTQ+ community.
He also shared his hope to provide “strength and courage” to those who have yet to disclose their identity publicly, as well as athletes who do not live “openly and freely.” “Disability is not meant to be hidden or ashamed of, the same goes for your sexual orientation,” Pavadé wrote.
“So embrace yourself as you are and remember that you are not alone. Life is extremely short and offers us many beautiful things that we cannot deny ourselves.”
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