Nick Wagman has never talked to the media about being a gay athlete. Now headed to the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games with Team USA, the dressage rider is sharing his story with the media, as an out gay athlete, for the first time.

On the latest episode of Five Rings To Rule Them All, Wagman talks about his journey as a gay man, and how dressage was a place of acceptance and comfort as he was growing up.

“Not knowing I as gay at the time, I felt a little awkward around my peers and this was a really good outlet for me to put my energy into, and I found a really healthy place to do that,” Wagman says on the podcast. “I think horses are what got me through high school in one piece because it kept me grounded through all the turmoil.”

Now in a longterm relationship with Kurt Gering, Wagman is fully out and openly embracing his life. While he hasn’t talked with the media about being gay until now, he has been living his life openly on Instagram for quite a while.

In the conversation, Wagman also explains what dressage is, and gives some tips on what to look for as viewers watch the sport at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

You can listen to the conversation with dressage rider Nick Wagman on the Five Rings To Rule Them All podcast on Megaphone, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple podcasts and many more platforms. Just search for Outsports wherever you get your podcast.

And be sure to follow Five Rings To Rule Them All on Twitter.

You can follow Nick Wagman on Instagram on his personal account and his dressage account.

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