Rippon posing for the shoot | Photo: Video/ESPN Magazine
Figure skater Adam Rippon is featured in ESPN’s upcoming annual Body Issue. The issue, year after year, shows off the hard work of all kinds of athletes with nude photoshoots.
In a brief video, ESPN shared an early look at Rippon’s shoot.
‘I couldn’t have done this [shoot] while I was in the closet,’ People Magazine quoted the athlete telling ESPN. ‘I think that, with my experience of coming out, I felt so liberated in so many ways.’
‘I don’t want to say I’ll never be in this shape again, but I’ll never be in this shape. I’ll be in another shape,’ he said.
‘This is a milestone of all the work it took me to get to the point to be an Olympic medal-winning figure skater.’
America’s sweetheart
Since appearing at this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the skater, who dubbed himself America’s sweetheart, has become a popular figure, both within sports and the LGBTQ community.
Both his talent on the ice rink, and his unapologetic political stances, has quickly skyrocketed him to fame.
Most recently, he won Dancing with the Stars and went on a cruise with his boyfriend.
This year’s issue comes out on 29 June.
ESPN also released a digital archive of their Body Issue, featuring never-before-seen photos.
