Ian Thorpe, in his own words.

Ian Thorpe’s astoundingly candid interview with Michael Parkinson has just aired on Channel Ten.

The 32-year-old Olympian champion covered everything from his love of water to his aspirations as a TV presenter.

But of course, the most important revelation – for him and for us – was that yes, Ian Thorpe is gay. After many, many years of speculation, he is finally comfortable enough to come out to a nation he has made so very proud.

Here’s everything Ian Thorpe wants you to know — about depression, sexuality, success, and survival. Whether you saw it live or missed it, Ian Thorpe has just given the most revealing interview of his life.

Share his words with anyone who needs to hear them.

1. Why he’s finally ready to come out as gay.

“I’ve wanted to [come out] for some time but I couldn’t, I didn’t feel as though I could. The problem was I was asked at such a young age about my sexuality… and I didn’t know at that age, I was too young, and so the answer was no.

“Then I carried this… I was telling people it was inappropriate to be asking a child such questions, and also it’s not appropriate for that question to be asked of anyone.

“I felt that the lie had become so big that I didn’t want people to question my integrity and a little bit of ego comes into this. I didn’t want people to question well, am I lying about everything?

“I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man and I don’t want young people to feel the same way I did. You can grow up and be comfortable and you can be gay.”

2. His parents were shocked when he told them.

“I was concerned about the reaction from my family, my friends, and I’m pleased to say in telling them, especially my parents, they told me they love me and support me. For young people out there, know that’s usually what the answer is.

“My friends were more like ‘OK, you know, fair enough’, and they said we had some suspicions. I needed my friends first. I told them first.

3. He’s been asked “Are you gay?” since he was 16 years old. It causes him tremendous pain.

“I had anger about this because I felt I shouldn’t have been asked about it. if I wasn’t asked, I feel as though I would have been much younger when I came out about this. I wouldn’t have lived a very different life but I could have been proud of the fact- yes, I’m out.

“I was already living somewhat of a lie in my life because I was trying to be what I thought was the right athlete by other people’s standards. I wanted to make people proud. I wanted to make my family proud and my nation proud of me.

“Part of me didn’t know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay.”

4. He knows his coming out will have a profound effect on young gay people.

“I’m telling not only Australia, I’m telling the world: I am gay.

“I hope this makes it easier for others now.

“I know that people don’t care about this, and I’ve made it a bigger deal than it needed to be and if I had answered this simply it would have been a lot easier on my life. People will critisise me, some won’t like the idea, others may applaud me for it. But it’s me.

“I’ve been so caught up in this, but I am looking forward to being able to get on with my life, to not have any secrets, and know that it’s all out there. I’m a person who doesn’t just go in there and tell everyone everything about myself. I don’t feel comfortable doing that. This is one thing I’m now comfortable with, and it’s out there and we get on with it.