Ian Thorpe reveals the story behind his decision to come out and his scary ordeal with a stalker

Ian Thorpe has spoken candidly about coming out and why he overcame his fears to share his sexuality with the world.

During an interview with This Is Your Life, the former swimmer reminisced on telling television presenter Sir Michael Parkinson that he is gay in July 2014.

“I was always doing this interview with Sir Michael Parkinson. I had just come out to my family and to my very very closest friends,” he told Melissa Doyle.

“I had spent some time with [Sir Michael Parkinson] before the interview and told him, “you should ask me if I’m gay because I’m going to tell you I am.

“I needed to say it. It was the first time I felt I was comfortable enough to put myself out there. It was important for me to be my authentic self.”

The swimmer had previously said he would have come out earlier if he’d had more time to become comfortable with his sexuality.

The gold medallist grappled with his sexuality during his teens before coming out at 31.

“For me, when I did come out, it was amazing to have such a kind of warm embrace from people,” he told The Guardian in 2016.

But his journey to sharing his authentic self wasn’t without hardship, with Ian suffering from bullying and homophobia well into adulthood.

“I know what it feels like when you literally isolate yourself. Even before I was out, people would yell homophobic slurs and things at me,” he told The Age.

“I struggled to come out. I realised what kind of impact that will have on young people to say, ‘the way you are feeling is equal to anyone else’. They may feel like the only one in their town, and I don’t want young people to go through that.”

The 39-year-old also shared his terrifying ordeals with stalkers over the years during his appearance on This Is Your Life.

He explained to Mel, “I had stalkers, there was one with a gun.

“I had to have security at my house. Things kind of changed and I was not ready for that and I don’t think anyone in their early twenties could be.”

He also enlisted the help from police to learn how to keep himself safe and had security workers at his home.

“I had to learn from the police how to be able to drive a car to be able to get past a stalker or someone following me, legally,” he shared.