Gareth Thomas Quotes

Gareth Thomas

Profession : Athlete

Birth : August 2, 1993

I like to think I'm a bit of a son of the country, I've played for the country so many times I feel proud to be Welsh. It's accepted me for what I am and what I do.

Gareth Thomas

If I'm in the position to help someone else I'd love to be able to.

Gareth Thomas

I became the master of playing the straight bat - I would go to bars with the boys, I would always be the one to start a fight, to be outrageous and drink the most. I even went to the extreme of marrying the perfect woman for me.

Gareth Thomas

I don't try and coax people to come out because it needs to be right for them as an individual but when I speak to some people I realise that the power and influence that famous sportspeople have is amazing and to show such a positive message can change the world.

Gareth Thomas

I hated being Gareth Thomas. I hated the man I looked at in the mirror.

Gareth Thomas

I've been through 20 years of torment battling with my sexuality.

Gareth Thomas

If I hadn't had the rugby field to get rid of my aggression I would have been locked up a long time ago.

Gareth Thomas

It's only when you leave the rugby bubble that you understand that negative criticism is not personal, it's reality because we don't always get everything right.

Gareth Thomas

Wherever I am in my life, it's because rugby has enabled me to do that.

Gareth Thomas

I loved playing rugby so much. I would have played rugby every day if I could have. I loved being a player so much, I don't know if I could sit on the side, with the passion I have and try and influence without being on there.

Gareth Thomas

Everything I ever did in my life when I was younger revolved around wanting to play for Wales, and then you get that cap... it's hard to describe.

Gareth Thomas

I can remember lacing up my boots ahead of my first cap against Japan in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. I remember the changing room, the smell of the place, every last detail of how I warmed up, walking out onto the pitch, thinking how proud my parents would be. I was doing all I ever wanted to do.

Gareth Thomas

People can be really famous in Wales for rugby, but outside of Wales nobody really has a clue who you are or what you've done.

Gareth Thomas

Growing up I wasn't aware of a single gay person in our town. The only people who were gay that you had any idea of were Kenny Everett and people like him on TV. I thought, that's not what I am.

Gareth Thomas

I'm not a stereotypical gay man but I am a gay man as much as anyone else.

Gareth Thomas

Part of a sportsman's job is taking banter from the crowd.

Gareth Thomas

I've always wanted to go to Chicago.

Gareth Thomas

You've got to be a right grouch to hate holidays, but one thing I do hate is the old towel on the sun bed trick. It kills me that people get up at five in the morning and go down to the swimming pool and reserve their sun bed with a towel.

Gareth Thomas

I've had toiletries explode in my bag and go all over my clothes a few times but I wouldn't let something like that ruin a holiday for me.

Gareth Thomas