Ski jumping star Stekala confesses: I am me-a man of love!

The Polish ski jumper Andrzej Stekala has taken a brave step today: in a moving Instagram post, he came to his homosexuality. After the loss of his partner in November, the 29-year-old felt encouraged to stand by his identity. "I no longer want to hide who I am. I am - a man who loved and still loves," emphasized Stekala in his emotional contribution, who shows a picture of him and his deceased partner. He called for the understanding and respect of his audience and stated: "My story deserves light, no shadow", as krone.at reported.

in Poland, where the situation for the LGBTI+community is tense, Stekala has lived in secret for a long time for fear of risking his sporting opportunities. Amnesty International emphasizes the discriminatory situation for LGBTQ people in the country. In terms of sport, the ski jumper is currently not running as desired. During this year's four-hill tour he was unable to get a place in the Polish squad and was only used once in Wisla in the current World Cup season, but failed in qualification. His greatest successes so far are two bronze medals in the team competitions at the 2021 World Cup and the 2020 ski flight World Cup, reported Eurosport.de