Olympic figure skater Rippon talks memoir, Olympics, next chapter at Wilbur Theatre

Adam Rippon was the first openly gay athlete to win a medal in the Winter Olympics. He won a bronze medal as part of the figure skating team in the 2018 Winter Olympics. He also was a National Champion in 2016 and a Four Continents Champion in 2010.

Rippon released his memoir, “Beautiful on the Outside: A Memoir” (2019), on Oct. 15 and gave a book talk at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston on Oct. 18.  The talk was moderated by Boston Globe sports editor Matt Pepin.

Rippon’s opening line to Pepin was, “you’re going to have your hands full, I’m warning you.” That disclaimer was the beginning of a hilarious and raw talk about Rippon’s memoir and his life in general. At many times Pepin was left simply smiling and did not know how to respond to Rippon’s fast paced, sporadic and random stories.

Pepin began by asking the origin story of Rippon’s memoir and its title, “Beautiful on the Outside.” Rippon commented that as the competitive figure skating chapter of his life closed and the next one opened, it felt like the perfect time to write and reflect. He stressed how important it was that his readers could laugh along with him throughout his book. If the talk was any indication, it seems as though he definitely accomplished this. The whole audience was in a constant state of laughter from the moment he came out onto the stage.

Rippon said that the title and the cover did not really have a meaning at first; he just wanted them to be ridiculous so that readers would start laughing, and it would set the tone. However, once people began seriously asking him what it meant, he related “Beautiful on the Outside” to the meme with the dog in the burning kitchen. He said that it represented the way humans can appear to be flawless while “their kitchen is on fire.”

When asked about his writing process, Rippon commented, “You make me sound smart, like I had a process.” After the audience was done laughing, he revealed that he doesn’t consider himself a writer, but he does consider himself a storyteller. He wrote his book by thinking like he was writing a script and read every sentence out loud until it sounded exactly how he wanted it to.

Even though he always thought writing a book would be hard, Rippon reflected how it was still harder than he thought it would be. He aimed to tell stories with a sense of humor so that readers are laughing as he laughs, even if some of the stories aren’t actually funny.

Writing about the lows of his life were the most difficult sections of his book, but Rippon said that they were also the most important. Those times helped him learn and grow and, therefore, must be included even if he was struggling.

Rippon also talked about another very difficult part of this book journey: having his mom read his memoir. He said that there were many stories that she had never really heard or seen from his perspective, and having her read the book was different for both of them. Though Rippon said that his mom is a vital part of his life, he said that there were fights and difficult times that she is hearing about for the first time through “Beautiful on the Outside.”

Rippon said he still enjoys skating in his post-competitive life, as being at a rink always feels like home for him. However, he continues to realize that now, after just skating a little bit, he’ll feel exhausted and leave. He commented that he uses it “as an outlet not to be fat,” which left the audience laughing.

Pepin then shifted the conversation to Rippon’s experience and impact as an openly gay athlete at the Olympics. Ripponreflected on all the people that he has gotten to meet and connect with since coming out.

The Olympics were the first time that Rippon felt there was more of a focus on him as a person than as an athlete. Therefore, he felt that it was important to be open and honest about his experience. He “felt so grateful to be there” and knew it was his “one shot and [he had] to go for it.”

One of the most fulfilling experiences that Rippon discussed was when Billy Jean King came to him and told him that she saw herself in him; when he performed, she felt as though everything she went through made sense. That someone who was openly gay could perform on that stage strongly and beautifully meant a lot to King, Rippon said, and he talked about how deeply honored he was to hear that.

Rippon turns 30 in November and looks forward to the next chapter of his life. He hopes that the future holds a lot of areas in which he is able to perform, entertain people and bring laughter and joy. He noted that he feels really lucky to have the opportunity to do that with “Beautiful on the Outside” as well.