World champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber came out as gay in a Facebook post on Monday.
“Gay and proud! Thank you to my parents for being such a great support. I continue to grow as a person and have a great support group. My parents are my greatest support and have helped me through a lot recently. To my friends, you are always my friends and I love you too!” Barber writes.
The 22-year-old already has checked off numerous accomplishments. Barber placed 10th at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and won the 2015 IAAF World Championship in Beijing.
He holds the Canadian national record for indoor and outdoor pole vaulting which he set in 2015. He also holds the NCAA Collegiate Indoor Record for 5.91 meters.
