Gay athlete Jake Williamson pledges to be ‘role model’ after breaking world record
Jake Williamson is part of Instagram’s ‘Athletes with Purpose’ initiative alongside the likes of Sir Lewis Hamilton and Emma Raducanu. (Lia Toby/Getty)
Jake Williamson is part of Instagram's 'Athletes with Purpose' initiative alongside the likes of Sir Lewis Hamilton and Emma Raducanu. (Lia Toby/Getty)
Jake Williamson is celebrating after setting a new a world record in a gruelling fitness competition.
Williamson, 27, competed in the open doubles men division of the Hyrox Elite 15 – which combines running and functional work stations – alongside Fabian Eisenlauer, in Berlin at the weekend.
Sometimes called the world series of fitness racing, tasks include a form of indoor skiing, a sled push and pull, burpees and rowing as well as other tough endurance tests.
Williamson and Eisenlauer broke the world record with a time of 47 minutes 57 seconds.
The pair looked elated as they celebrated on Instagram with a bunch of images. Williamson also posted a video showing some of the energy-sapping challenges. “It feels a lot worse than it looks,” he wrote. (We here at PinkNews think it looks quite tough enough, thank you).
The Stonewall ambassador also posted a more-emotional video discussing being “the only openly gay male athlete in Hyrox Elite 15”.
Describing it as “both an honour and a responsibility,” Williamson added: “It’s a unique position in pro-sports,” and vowed to “do my best to be a role model for this community… to inspire others to embrace their true selves regardless of social expectations”.
The former semi-pro footballer went on to say: “Being out of this level allows me to represent not only myself but also the broader LGBTQ+ community. While the journey to this point has had its challenges, from overcoming personal fears to potentially facing stereotypes, it’s been an incredible, rewarding journey.”
Williamson is now gearing up for the Hyrox World Championships set to take place in Chicago between 12 and 15 June.
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