Jack Woolley did not have an easy path to compete at his second Summer Olympics in Paris. In fact, there were moments of hell for the gay taekwondo athlete from Ireland.
Even before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Woolley had expressed some regret about coming out publicly, at that time as “bisexual.”
“I just wish I never labelled it,” he said in 2020. “I still don’t like labeling it. People are just hell-bent on giving everyone labels nowadays.
“I want to be the first Irish Olympian in my sport, the lad from Tallaght who went to the Olympics, not Jack the gay athlete.”
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Woolley did accomplish an historic achievement in 2021. He followed it up by donning a dobok for his nation of Ireland and competed in Paris, an incredible end to his three-year journey that he chronicled in a recent Instagram post.
“Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games I became Ireland’s first Taekwondo Olympian,” wrote of a highlight of his life.
That highlight also clearly brought some pain for Woolley.
“I lost. I felt like I let myself, my sport and my country down.”
Woolley had been seeded sixth in the 16-person tournament at the Tokyo Olympics. He was upset in the first round by the 11-seed, Lucas Guzman of Argentina, who went on to the semifinals. It was a tough loss for Woolley, who’s misfortunes only got worse when he returned to Dublin when he was the target of a random assault in Dublin City.
“It was a very mentally tough time for me but I recovered well and I had people around to support and inspire me to come back to sport.”
It took a while for him to put the assault — and the loss in Tokyo — behind him. Yet with that support he did just that, returning to the form that landed him at the Olympics in 2021.
“I was medalling at Major Championships again: Europeans and Grand Prix,” he wrote.
That time also brought him love.
“I met the love of my life during all of this madness and he has been there for me more than I could have ever asked for.”
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He wrote to Outsports recently, talking about celebrating his three-year anniversary with his boyfriend at the Paris Olympics. He also talked about embracing being very publicly gay.
On his road to the Paris Games, last year and earlier in 2024 he missed out on some early opportunities to qualify for the Paris Olympics, creating anxiety issues. “I felt like my life was falling apart right in front of my eyes.”
Still, there was another chance to qualify for Paris. So he headed abroad to train in hopes of finding his passion for his sport once more.
“I spent six months working on myself and with the help of others around me I began enjoying sport and life again.”
That’s when he qualified for the Paris Olympics.
“I trained the hardest I ever had, I was in the best physical and mental shape of my life. I represented Ireland at my second Olympic Games and although not the result I expected I am proud to be in the position I am today!
“I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
As are we. We’ll keep following Woolley and his athletic dreams — or dreams of whatever he has in store for himself.
And yes, no doubt, he is in the best shape of his life.
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