Meet Wesley Campbell, Out Gay Figure Skater Who's Now Coaching

Get to know Wesley Campbell!

Professional figure skater Wesley Campbell knew he was gay from an early age, even though he grew up in Tennessee and in a sport where gay athletes feel pressure to stay in the closet.

But not Campbell, who has been publicly out throughout his entire career. “By the time I was 10 I knew I was attracted to guys,” Campbell said in an interview with Outsports. “I don’t think I was ever exactly in [the closet], and I had this sense of self that was ultimately, if someone didn’t like me, then don’t like me. And I had to just roll with that. It’s not easy for anyone, but it wasn’t particularly hard for me. When I got to that age to make some choices, it wasn’t scary for me.”

Before turning pro, the 6-foot-six skater scored a bronze medal at the 2004 junior championships in singles and finished seventh among senior men in 2008, behind figure skating greats Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, and Jeremy Abbot.

But it was when he started skating professionally that his career really took off. Most recently he toured with Holiday On Ice, where he did 137 shows in 29 countries and dated fellow tour skater Blake Eisenach.

Campbell was given the opportunity to keep skating professionally in 2023, but he turned it down to step into the roll of coach. These days he’s coaching for the Scott Hamilton Training Club where he gets to work with up-and-coming figure skaters.

“My skillset is mostly in training and the preparation game,” he said. “I know how to get into that zone no matter where you are in your training and your process, to figure out how to put out your best at any given moment.”

Scroll to see sexy photos of Wesley Campbell and give him a follow on Instagram @wesleyruckercampbell.