Photo: Gus Kenworthy/Facebook
Gus Kenworthycan always count on his mom to cheer him on.
While recently chatting with PEOPLE about partnering withMasters, a new app that lets users train with some of the world’s most accomplished athletes, the 30-year-old freestyle skier also opens up about his mother, Pip Kenworthy, and her support ahead of what will mark his finalWinter Olympics.
“My mom is my number-one fan. She is obviously a huge supporter of me, but also my friend,” he tells PEOPLE.
Noting that his mother has always been there for him — including a time when she waved “a rainbow flag like a crazy person” at his first competition after hecame out publicly as gay— Kenworthy continues, “She’s just truly been so supportive of me and I wanted to do this to honor her.”
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At the upcoming Winter Olympics, which kick off on Feb. 3 and run until Feb. 20, Kenworthy will mark hislast time competingfor Olympic gold.
“I’m quite old for my sport,” he explains. “I’ve been doing this for a really long time. I’m 30 now and I turned pro when I was 16. So it’s really been almost half of my life that I’ve been doing this on a professional level and, obviously, even a lot longer than I was competing before I turned pro.”
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MASTERS
“I think the thing that I am excited about for any competition is just that kind of feeling of nervousness and anticipation and excitement, and then relief when you get to the bottom of the run and you’ve landed a run,” he says.
“I feel like I have very much put in my time, and I have a lot of love for this sport,” theAmerican Horror Storystar adds. “I feel truly, truly, truly grateful for everything that’s provided me and everything I’ve gotten to do because of it. But I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life and whatever that may hold.”
RELATED VIDEO: Skier Gus Kenworthy Is Ready for His “Swan Song” at the Beijing Winter Olympics
Explaining that the app has “a really great interface” and comes from “a good group of people,” Kenworthy tells PEOPLE, “I was really excited about it because I feel like it’s a way to put everything that I’ve learned over the years into one place.”
And, according to Kenworthy, the app doesn’t focus on just one type of exercise: “It encompasses all of the different workouts, tips and tricks for mindfulness, and everything that I have used for years now.”
The app also allows users to train with other athletes including snowboarder Shaun White, runner Emma Coburn, surfer Kai Lenny, soccer player Ada Hegerberg and tennis champion Petra Kvitova, among others.
“Masters is exciting for me because I think it’s a really great opportunity to connect with my audience, get people involved in fitness and get people feeling and looking their best,” Kenworthy adds. “I think it also presents a lot of opportunities moving forward for me because that’s something I can continue for years and years, and I’m excited to connect with people over it.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, beginning Feb 3, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.
source: people.com
