How for Ohio State Swimmer, the Pool Became His Safe Space
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Ohio State swimmer Nathan Holty wrote about coming out to teammates in high school and college, and how he saw his confidence soar and his performances improve in an essay for Out Sports.
Read the except below:
From Day 1 at Ohio State, I didn’t have to hide from anyone. I am able to live openly and happily around my teammates, coaches and support staff who sincerely care about me. I couldn’t ask for a more accepting team. In my freshman year at OSU, I became a co-founder for Buckeye Spectrum, a student-athlete organization creating and promoting safe spaces through visibility and representation of LGBTQIA+ athletes of all racial and gender identities.
I began to rediscover my “why” for swimming. Why I wake up at 5 a.m. for 5:30 practices, why I work out 20-plus hours a week, and why I continue to try again after failures. I do it so I can try to be a role model for a struggling gay kid in swimming, someone I wish I had to look up to when I was younger.
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After being away from home, my mother started to realize our differences, how we grew up, and how we developed our beliefs. But one thing that remains the same between us is our sport. Swimming is something we can both agree on even when it may seem like we can’t agree on anything else. I don’t want to paint my family in a bad light. Some in my extended family have been very supportive. They mean so much to me and I love them so much, which is why this whole journey has been so painful.
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After I came out, my self-acceptance gave me the confidence to live openly and freely in this sport. There were noticeable improvements in my performances because I felt way more confident in myself. Since high school I have scored numerous points for OSU, achieved four individual wins, qualified for USA swimming nationals, had a national top 50 performance in the 400-meter individual medley and on the path to compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
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Nathan Holty attends The Ohio State University and is a junior this fall. He is studying astrophysics and astronomy with a minor in engineering sciences. He is on the swimming and diving team and specializes in individual medley, breaststroke and freestyle. When he was 6, he competed with the Dayton Raiders in Ohio and was also part of the Idle Hour swim team for summer league as well as the Beavercreek High School swim team. At Beavercreek he earned varsity all four years, was co-captain his senior year and set three team records. In his senior year he won the 2020 Greater Western Ohio Boys Swimming Athlete of the Year, was a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, and was named in the 18 and Under World 100 List in the 400 IM. He can be reached via Instagram.
