A post shared by Robbie Manson (@robbie_manson)It’s been eight years since Robbie Manson last competed in the Olympics. But the wait wasn’t supposed to be this long.Manson qualified for the Tokyo Games, which were postponed due to COVID.
Like many people during the pandemic, Manson started contemplating his future, and decided to prioritize his mental health. Though the two-time Olympian had dedicated his life to rowing, he thought it was best to step aside.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.“This is all I knew,” he said in an interview. “It was really scary to step away for a lot of reasons, because I didn’t know anything else.
But I also knew that I needed to.”A post shared by Robbie Manson (@robbie_manson)It was an excruciating decision. Manson retired at the top of his game, with a World Championships medal and a world-best time in single sculls.