Konrad Eiring was a four-year varsity athlete at Barrington High School in the northwest suburbs, excelling in cross country and track & field. He missed graduation this past spring because he was at the Illinois High School State Track Meet.
His team, though, had a small graduation ceremony a week later, and now he's heading downstate to attend the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana, looking to major in art and design.
"I love design and clothing," said Eiring, 18, who also has a passion and appreciation for music, instilled in him at a young age by his dad.
"I was involved in many leadership clubs [in] high school, encouraging students to stay healthy and promote friendship. I also was quite active in my Boy Scout troop."
And yes, Eiring is gay—an accomplished athlete and a Boy Scout, who just happens to be gay.
"I came out while still in Scouts and one of the first people from my troop to say something about it to me was my scoutmaster, who was the father of one of my close friends," Eiring said. "He came up to me at a meeting, shook my hand and said he was incredibly proud of me. It was one of the most sincere realizations that I could be proud in my life without fear of losing all my work that I had put into Boy Scouts."
Eiring has achieved Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable for a Boy Scout.
"I know there are a lot of homophobic fears when it comes to Boy Scouting, but I would love to let my experience show that if you stay true and work your ass off, you can be just as successful in Boy Scouting."
Eiring, who has two older brothers, also enjoys drawing, painting and going on trail runs to help relieve stress, he said.
"I was very fortunate to be able to run with the varsity squads my freshman and sophomore year," of high school, Eiring said. "My freshman year we missed making it to the state meet by a few seconds and my sophomore we ran the same event ( 4x800 ) with just one new runner and won the Illinois state meet.
"Our team was better than it had been in a very long time, due to a lot of guys dedicating a lot of time and hard work."
Eiring participated in multiple track & field events—solo races and multi-member races.
As a junior, Eiring's run hit an obstacle, literally.
He was on a trail run and tripped, fracturing his fibula.
"At that time I didn't know I had fractured anything and struggled through the run," he said. "Then I went to the doctor because I couldn't walk and I got an x-ray, [but] nothing showed up. So I got the go-ahead to run one of my last cross-country races. In preparation for that meet I was told by my high school trainer to apply more weight to my injured leg to 'loosen up the muscles.' I trudged through my last race and let's just say it didn't go well. So I went back to my doctor and then got an MRI and found that I had broken my leg three weeks earlier."
He was placed in a boot to recover.
He often swam to stay in shape.
And that's when he started to think he was gay, but he wasn't comfortable telling anyone.
"Those long nights were my silent meditation where I realized that I was gay and that there was nothing wrong with it," he said. "After 14 weeks of my silent contemplation I was ready to return to land. Track [practice] was just beginning and I was feeling faster than ever. I came back rather quickly and set the conference indoor record for the 800-meters [race]. My confidence was perhaps a little inflated because after indoor conference [meet], I jumped my mileage from 30 miles a week to 50 miles a week."
But that led to another injury—he fractured his other fibula.
"This time I thought it was all over," he said. "It wasn't my off-season anymore and outdoor track was just beginning. I thought that my junior season was going to be a bust and that I would have no chance to run in college. My dreams seemed unattainable and I was broken. I remember one night just feeling, so helpless in my life as I was alone doing a swim workout and it dawned on me, I could let this whole situation beat me down and that would be it. Hang up my track spikes and walk away, there was always [that option]."
He opted against that route, though.
Eiring said he was one of seven LGBT students this past school-year at Barrington, and yes, there were other gay athletes at the school, too.
"My last year [at] Barrington was so incredible; I was able to grow even closer to my team and we accomplished greatness," said Eiring, who was out and proud as a senior. "I wanted to come out and set a strong example of a gay athlete."
Eiring said several opponents knew he was gay, and he never endured any negative feedback.
Eiring shared the popular Nike slogan on his size 12 Nike Victory shoes: in black ink, he wrote, #BETRUE.
"I wanted a reminder to myself and others that being 100 percent with yourself is where true victory is found," he said.
"I know college is a new playing field, but that is true for everyone. I am so lucky to be joining some of the fastest and most devoted runners in the nation at the University of Illinois and a coach [who] supports all of us for us."
Eiring marched in the Chicago Pride Parade in late June with the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ), and said that Sunday afternoon was "out of this world, so intense and incredible at the same time."
Eiring said other young, closeted athletes need to know that, yes, coming-out likely will be a challenge, "but coming out to your team will give you the opportunity to really grow as a team and individual. Being 100 percent with yourself can transform your confidence in all parts of your life.
"Some guys like guys, and some girls like girls, get over it and get back to the sport. If someone is honest with you about their sexuality, applaud it and get back to training, they are just like any other athlete."
