Jack Woolley is open about his boyfriend’s profound impact on his life. The Olympian attributes their relationship to his newfound mental peace, which allowed him to soak up his experience at the Paris Games.
“In the last few months, I’ve really noticed the benefits of being open that I’m in a same-sex relationship and how much it can inspire others,” he told Outsports this summer.
In that spirit, Woolley recently posted a pair of adorable videos detailing how he met Dave. His first Reel has been viewed more than 80,000 times!
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Like most modern love stories, their dialogue started with a DM. But it wasn’t flirtation at first sight. Jack says he didn’t message Dave back, because his account was on private. “I had no clue who he was,” Jack admits.
But over time, Jack opened up. The mixed martial arts master had just returned from the Tokyo Olympics, where he suffered a disappointing defeat. Unsure of his next steps, Jack decided to deemphasize his athletic career for a few months and try dating for the first time.
So he decided to message the aforementioned anonymous “bloke,” and ask if he wanted to have coffee.
“I still wasn’t sure if this bloke was just interested in my sport, or was he actually interested in me? So I bit the bullet, and asked him out for a coffee,” Jack says.
Dave’s response was… crickets. He ghosted Jack for two full days!
Finally, he responded with a counter-offer: an ice cream date. Before long, they were sitting in a McDonald’s parking lot, getting to know each other over a McFlurry.
“If that isn’t romance, I don’t know what is,” Jack says.
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Jack Woolley bids adieu to Paris with a message of self-love
Out Olympian Jack Woolley is loving life, and it’s awesome to see.
Woolley’s comfort as an out athlete today stands in stark contrast to his initial regrets over coming out. Prior to the Tokyo Games, Woolley said he wished his orientation wasn’t public knowledge.
“I just wish I never labeled it. I still don’t like labeling it. People are just hell-bent on giving everyone labels nowadays,” he told the Irish website Extra in 2020.
Following his trying experience in Tokyo, where he represented Ireland in taekwondo, Woolley was brutally assaulted on the streets of Dublin. The horrifying episode sent him to the hospital.
At a low point, Woolley wasn’t thinking about his budding romance with Dave. Then a gift bag arrived, with chocolate, fresh undies, a change of clothes, and a little note: “Jack, hope you feel better soon. PS, you’ll never be ugly. Dave.”
From that moment on, Jack says there were no questions in his mind: Dave was the one.
Once Jack and Dave started seeing each other more regularly, there was one inevitability they could no longer avoid: meeting the parents. In a second video, Jack explains Dave’s first meeting with his mother.
Let’s just say it was the parental equivalent of a McDonald’s parking lot date!
At the tail end of a “Netflix and chill” sesh (Jack claims his intentions didn’t extend beyond binge-watching), he wanted to sneak Dave out of the house. He asked his parents if they would move from the living room into the kitchen, to which his mother replied: “F*ck off.”
“That quick hello still developed into a very good relationship he has with my parents now,” Jack says.
Three years into their romance, Jack arrived at the Paris Games with an amazing new outlook on life. Now 25 and confident as a gay man, Jack wants to serve as a role model.
Though Jack fell short in his bid for bronze, he bid adieu to Paris with an uplifting message.
“Not how I expected my Olympic Games to go but I’d like to thank everyone for all the support,” he posted on Instagram. “Out of 200 million taekwondo practitioners in the world I am one of just 128 athletes across 8 divisions to represent their country at Paris 2024.”
He continued, “I am the first and only Taekwondo olympian for my country and now to do that TWICE is something I’ll be forever proud of ☘️.”
Jack will forever be part of Olympic history and he’s in love. Sounds like a pretty good deal to us!
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Jack Woolley’s selfie with Sha’Carri Richardson is our favorite pic of the Olympics (so far!)
Jack Woolley says Sha’Carri Richardson is an inspiration…
