(upbeat music)
- Adam Rippon, I have a question for you.
Which was more nerve wracking, writing a memoir
or preparing for the Olympics?
- [Adam Rippon] Getting ready for the Olympics
was, like, a 20-year process,
and the book was not 20 years.
But I think sharing so much of myself,
I thought writing the book
You know, I've written a strongly worded text message,
that's long, right?
A long form email.
And I thought it would be like the same thing.
- (laughs) What difference is a memoir, really?
- It's, like, just a bunch of emails.
It was definitely, just to kind of revisit a lot
of different points in my life, and
Because I felt like I could reflect and see how far
I've come, and all the situations that I've been in
and how I've learned from them.
You know, I think the Olympics was scarier,
but writing the book was definitely a challenge.
But I had a really great experience putting it together.
- I'm the least athletic person in the world,
but I love the Olympics. (laughs)
Training for that is your whole life.
- Yeah.
Was it scary leaving that behind and embarking
on this new venture?
- [Adam Rippon] I think the biggest thing is
that when you've done something for so long,
and it's been such a huge part of your life,
there is like
The life of an athlete is so regimented,
that you know exactly what you're going
to be doing months from now, in a year.
You set a calendar of goals of all these competitions
you want to be at.
You know, if I was still competing,
I would be thinking ahead to three years from now,
to the next Olympics.
Leaving it all behind,
but I think whenever you leave anything,
whether it's like you're graduating from college,
and you're like entering the real world.
We all sort of go through that process.
So it's challenging to leave it behind, but
- What's your advice for anyone
who's in a situation like that right now?
Like we were just talking about the kids graduating
from college, like switching careers midlife.
- Well switching careers is scary as sh*t.
It's really scary, because you do what you know.
And especially, like, if you've done it
and you feel like you're proficient at it.
And you feel like you're respected in your field.
And then to kind of switch gears, and be like I'm going
to do something different, I think
'Cause if it's something you really want to do,
there's gonna obviously be moments where you're like,
"I made a mistake, I messed up."
If you realized that you're really doing what you love to do
and you're doing what you want to do,
you'll see yourself out of those moments.
And they'll become fewer and fewer.
I think that what I've learned in the moments of my life,
where I didn't know what I was doing, was that you know,
bleach your teeth, get a spray tan, you'll be okay.
- How would you describe where you were five years ago,
as opposed to where you are now?
- It was like one of the lowest points for me,
but I would also say I was the most hungry
and the most willing to take risks.
I'll never forget the way that I felt in those days,
because in those days I really pushed myself to be
And it's in that mindset that I feel like I really
gained a lot of strength, and I really became the person
that I really like today.
- [Interviewer] When I think about your career,
and this persona you've built,
I think about you wearing your heart on your sleeve.
Who you are and how you represent yourself,
and how it's so important for the queer community.
How did you get the courage to be so authentic?
- I came out in my personal life in my 20s.
And then I came out professionally,
in, like, my athletic career, when I was like 25,
so a few years before the Olympics.
And I realized that, like, I could just enjoy myself
a little bit more if I just
And I think by the time I got to the Olympics,
and I was able to do that, it didn't feel
like I was being courageous.
I just felt like I was doing my best to, like, engage.
And I was doing my best to be present in those moments.
And I know from my own experiences
that sometimes that can be scary.
But I wasn't trying to be anything else other than who I was
and just to really enjoy that moment as it was happening.
- What's the motivation for that?
Is it the idea that maybe
- You know, I think back to me as, like, a 10 year old,
so uncomfortable in my own skin, so feeling out of place.
And I think that sometimes
And it kind of feels like almost that
- We've talked a lot about your past, given that this
is a memoir, but where do you see yourself going next?
- I think what I've always loved doing,
is I've loved entertaining people.
And I love making people laugh.
And I think for a really long time,
to entertain people
and to get people to feel something.
And I think when I had that experience at the Olympics,
that whole month of February, I felt like I kind of had the
chance to
And I hope that in the next few years I'm able
to continue doing what I love doing, continue doing that.
And then you know, as an athlete, I do love, like, an award.
So I'm, like hoping to get Emmys and stuff.
- I think we're going to get an Emmy for this.
- Are you kidding?
I feel like we are already nominated.
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may I have your attention please.
- Get the (bleep) out.
- [Intercom Announcer] We're having a test
on the building's fire alarm system.
Disregard any audio or visual changes you may see or hear.
- This is going in the end credits. (laughs)
- [Intercom Announcer] Once again,
may I have your attention.