Not only is Amber Glenn a figure skating champion, but she’s also a legend in the LGBTQ community.
Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, became the first out LGBTQ woman to win the U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Championship when she skated her way to victory in January 2024.
In an interview with NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday, Glenn said she’s happy to be a beacon of hope for fans.
“The stories I’ve been told that something I did, something I said, and being who I am publicly, unapologetically has helped them feel better, that outweighs any sort of backlash or anything that could ever come negatively from me being who I am,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons why I kept skating even when I might not have been seeing the results I wanted.”
As a mental health advocate, Glenn has also talked about her struggles both in and out of the rink. In 2015, she took some time away from the sport to check herself into a mental health facility.
“I was in a very dark place. I eventually was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, eating disorder. One of my friends contacted one of my parents and I sought help, and I’m so grateful for that,” she said.
“Eventually, I got to a place to where I was doing things in a healthy way and I could speak about my struggles,” Glenn added.
The athlete noted that she felt compelled to talk about her mental health struggles because she didn’t see others do that when she was a kid.
“I think growing up, I saw the top skaters as untouchable and as these people who didn’t have the same struggles that I was having at that age. Eventually, I got a peek behind the curtain and they were struggling in silence,” she said.
“After seeing that, I realized that it was more important for me to be honest about my journey than to try and act like everything was perfect,” she continued.
Glenn, one of the few U.S. women to have successfully landed a triple axel in competition, also talked about competing with ADHD.
She explained that her mind sometimes races before competitions.
“I get those thoughts, those impulsive thoughts of, ‘What if you didn’t do it? What if someone pulls the fire alarm?’” she said about landing one of her jumps.
“It’s so hard to get into the perfect mindset — to be able to accomplish it. But that’s what I work so hard to do,” she added.
While Glenn has overcome so much, she shared that she’s still working on trusting and believing in herself more.
“Why is that difficult now? You’re so awesome,” “Today” host Carson Daley asked.
“I think because it wasn’t always the case,” she replied. “It’s taken me many, many, many years to get to where I am today. And I think part of me is still in disbelief and I need to trust that I put in the work to be here and that I do deserve it.”
