It’s been quite the five years for Heath Thorpe. One of our favorite athletic heartthrobs came out as gay and catapulted onto our radar with championship performances on the mat in his native Australia.
The decorated gymnast also turned into a real man.
A real, real man.
How about we take this to the next level?
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To kick off the week, Thorpe shared before and after photos on TikTok, comparing one shot of himself from 2019 to what he looks like today. His chiseled chest and six-pack abs look the same, but pretty much everything else is different…in the best and most possible way.
“First pic is spooky omg,” he wrote.
We wouldn’t go that far, but the difference is stark! Thorpe suffered his tw*nk death sometime between 2019 and 2024; and we must say, the afterlife looks pretty good on him. (For some reason, TikTok is being annoying with embeds, so please enjoy the following screenshots.)
2019:
2024:
With nearly 250,000 followers on social media (TikTok, Instagram and X), Thorpe keeps his thirsty fans satisfied with updates on his daily life. We would expect nothing less from a budding superstar who’s been out and proud since he was 18 years old.
Over the years, Thorpe has spoken about the dearth of out male athletes in gymnastics, and his desire to be a role model.
“When I was younger, there were no queer gymnasts competing on the international level,” he said in an interview about his advocacy efforts. “So when I was coming to terms with my identity, I now realize how significant it could’ve been if there were one or even two people at the top level being themselves.”
One of Thorpe’s main goals is moving male gymnastics away from heteronormative norms and stereotypes. With male gymnasts historically derided as effeminate, he says figures in the sport often overcompensate.
Thorpe wants the men’s side to be more open to creative artistry, which he includes in nearly all of his routines.
“Outside of the gymnastics world there is a stereotype of men’s gymnastics being feminine or being seen as gay or girly,” he told Inside Gymnastics. “We’re told that all the time as kids. When you say, ‘I do gymnastics’ someone replies, ‘That’s for girls.’ So you’re told from a young age that the sport you’re doing is emasculating, essentially. I think in retaliation to that, men’s gymnastics has created this environment of hyper masculinity and heteronormativity.
“Artistry in the eyes of men’s gymnastics equals femininity and for some reason we see that as a bad thing. I think we see leaps and artistry as very easy and I don’t know… almost a girly thing. But in reality it requires so much work and time and it’s really hard to do it well. So I think it’s been in an attempt to make the sport seem more masculine that we’ve just taken away the space for any creativity and I think that can be a really dangerous thing because it just becomes a sport about power tumbling.”
Last year was maybe the most critical of Thorpe’s nascent career, though not in the way he originally intended. Despite winning the Australian All-Around Championships, he was inexplicably snubbed from the country’s team for the World Championships.
Thorpe appealed the decision, but dropped his case when he lacked the financial means to continue.
“I am absolutely heartbroken to share that I have not been selected to the Australian team for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships,” Thorpe posted at the time. “Despite my many results and improvements this year alone, including my recent Australian All-Around title, I will not be one of the five Aussie gymnasts afforded an opportunity to compete in the biggest Olympic qualifier come October.”
But never one to give up, Thorpe found his way to the World Championships, anyway. He obtained credentials to work as a journalist, conducting interviews with some of the sport’s biggest stars.
One of his biggest fans, gold medalist Simone Biles, even gave him a special shoutout.
Thorpe has been going hard at his Olympic training since then, working out in Belgium. His 2023 may have been trying, but it was also rewarding in so many ways.
In the end, Thorpe says he wound up exactly where he needs to be.
“Whewww what a year. There is a lot I could say about 2023 but I’ll keep it short and sweet. Amongst the turbulence there was plenty to celebrate – many triumphs, successes and joys intertwined with heartbreak, adversities and challenges,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Nonetheless this year has landed me exactly where I need to be. Lessons were learnt and consequently embraced.”
Now four months into 2024, it’s apparent that Thorpe is living up to his motivational words. He’s been participating in two training sessions per day with Team Belgium, making the most of his opportunity.
Overall, it’s great to see Thorpe on the mat, and in good spirits. As one can glean from his before and after shots, our man just gets better with age.
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frapachino
Steroids!
abfab
Your brain could use some steroids.
jp47
Whether steroids are involved or not, five years from youth to man can make a huge difference.
abfab
Very true! But frappo wouldn’t understand that.
bachy
He looks rather like he could be related to Paul Mescal.
Fahd
I enjoy reading the articles on Thorpe and men’s gymnastics in general; a positive addition Alex Reimer has brought to Queerty’s offerings.