Gymnast Heath Thorpe talks pushing boundaries on the mat, his cat dad aesthetic & his kiki ball debut
reigning All-Around Champion and won the floor exercise at the most recent Oceania Championships. He rakes up medals and dazzles our eyes, with both his acrobatic routines and Adonis-like figure.
A favorite of Queerty readers, Thorpe publicly came out as gay when he was 18 years old, making him one of the few out male gymnasts in the world.
On the mat, Thorpe enjoys defying convention, performing leaps and other dance moves that aren’t in the Code of Points.A post shared by Heath Thorpe (@heaththorpe)A post shared by Heath Thorpe (@heaththorpe)A post shared by Heath Thorpe (@heaththorpe)A post shared by Heath Thorpe (@heaththorpe)While Thorpe is focused on championship success, his ultimate goal is opening up male gymnastics and creating the space for athletes to be more flamboyant. “Artistry in the eyes of men’s gymnastics equals femininity and for some reason we see that as a bad thing,” he told Inside Gymnastics last year.Thorpe’s artistry travels well beyond in the mat, in the form of his gender-bending wardrobe and colorful TikTok page.
It’s fair to say the 22-year-old stud is well on his way to becoming a cultural sensation. But even for an accomplished and confident gymnast, life isn’t linear.
