“I was trying to steal time I did not have”: Golf Alumnus Ryann O’Toole talks about life as an openly gay athlete
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Ryann O'Toole
As pride month comes to an end, UCLA Golfer Ryann O’Toole recently talked about her life as an openly gay athlete. Being true to herself has propelled her through life like no other. During her four years as a golfer at UCLA, O’Toole has been an openly gay athlete. Discovering herself and sticking to her identity is what has led O’Toole to be so steadfast, she says.
“By me sticking strong to who I was and not fearing it, or not running from it or not listening to those close to me or any outside voices saying that this isn’t the way it should be … it’s made me into a stronger individual,” O’Toole said to the Daily Bruins. “It challenged me, but I feel like I overcame it.”
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“My path to success was not easy”: Ryann O’Toole on her journey
However, her journey to success was not an easy one. O’Toole picked up the sport of golf at the age of 13, quite a lot later than her other counterparts. This forced her to learn the physical and mental aspects of the game very quickly. “I still needed time,” O’Toole said. “I was just trying to buy time and steal time that I never had, and obviously just make the most of it.”
Ryann O’Toole however achieved quite the success- she was named MVP three times in high school as well as got the All-America honors from ESPN The Magazine in 2005. She improved quickly from her freshman year to her sophomore year. “It just was tough in the sense of just finding a group or trying to find your own path. I took it all as stepping stones. I always felt like I needed to go through all the steps to create that good foundation,” O’Toole said.
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Saivee Phatak
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