Proud: My Autobiography

By: Gareth Thomas

Narrated by: Matthew Gravelle

Gareth Thomas had it all. He was a national hero, a sporting icon. He was a leader of men, captain of Wales and the British Lions. To him, rugby was an expression of cultural identity, a sacred code. It was no mere ball game. It gave him everything, except the freedom to be himself.

This is the story of a man with a secret that was slowly killing him. Something that might devastate not only his own life but the lives of his wife, family, friends and teammates. The only place where he could find any refuge from the pain and guilt of the lie he was living was on the pitch, playing the sport he loved. But all his success didn’t make the strain of hiding who he really was go away. His fear that telling the truth about his sexuality would lose him everything he loved almost sent him over the edge.

The deceit ended when Gareth became the world’s most prominent athlete to come out as a gay man. His gesture has strengthened strangers, and given him a fresh perspective. Gareth’s inspiring and moving story transcends the world of sport to tell a universal truth about feeling like an outsider, and facing up to who you really are.

©2014 Gareth Thomas and Michael Calvin (P)2014 Random House Audiobooks

Powerful.....

Very much enjoyed hearing this audio book. His story is powerul and I can relate to a certain point. Definitely a must if you are looking for inspiration on how to empower yourself to live to your full potential

Emotional Roller Coaster

Spoke to me on many levels. Congratulations Gareth Thomas for making such a difference with your life. Very touching and open the detail in emotion and setting were amazing.

Marc

I enjoyed this book very much. It was not an easy listen as it could be quite emotionally draining as Gareth’s honesty holds no bounds. I think that it can still be difficult to relate to unless your life followed a similar path to his. I would, absolutely certainly, recommend this book to people in a similar position to Gareth as he will help people make a lot of sense of the trials and tribulations of , what must be, an extremely tough obstacle to overcome especially in his line of work. Well done Gareth. Unless people read these insights they will never understand what you went through and the person you have become at the end of this journey. You must be very proud.

Great Great read

Being Welsh this was ready to relate to. Many of the locations mentioned were placed I grew up visiting and staying at.

I can't say I'm a rugby fan or highly sensitive to the issues he suffered by doing what he did.

But I would highly recommend reading this whatever your into.

A moving autobiography

I'm not a rugby fan, and I'd never even heard of Gareth Thomas. I was intrigued by the theme of the book and the man on the cover. It's the story of a man who repressed his sexuality, while playing hard to stay hidden in plain sight, on the demanding playing field of life in Wales - where a man had better be a man. Growing up at a time when being gay was unacceptable, he fought on the rugby field, and inside his mind. Playing the game he loved, but maybe didn't quite fit. It's a moving and well written story of the ravages that can come from having to hide your true identity, and struggle to live a lie. Not only psychologically for the first person singular, but for those whose life he touches and entwines with.

The book relays his whole story, the trials, the pain, the triumphs, and does so in a way that is personal and quite captivating. I was always looking forward to getting my headphones back on to listen to more of his story.

I think Thomas captured the emotional side of his struggle in this book, and is an inspiration for others who deal with the insecurity of who they really are. He explains not only what he was up against, but why. The intricacies of how his self image affected his place in the world, why he was driven to hide his identity, and his drive to not only prove himself, but overcome the exhausting burden of living a dual life. Particularly in the über-macho world of professional sports, and specifically in the demanding world of the rugby field. Quite a difficult feat, which took so much of his personal and spiritual energy.

He spends considerable time going into details about how his choices affected others, and his later efforts to repair the damage he'd done by trying to be someone else.

In the end, I think he manages to overcome much of the stigma and fear, and become whole, while realizing the struggle never really ends completely.

It's an inspirational story that hopefully will help to give others the freedom to be who they are, without the damaging struggle that Thomas suffered.