This former Nebraska gymnast is creating ripples both in and out of the gymnastics realm. The young NCAA gymnast donned the jersey of Nebraska for five straight years before switching to Illinois this year. Over the years, he has clinched some prestigious honors like being an All-American, getting an individual Big Ten Championship medal, and many more. But his antics outside of the mats are equally thought-provoking. Bringing in a unique flair of artistry in men’s gymnastics, the young athlete has mesmerized many. However, despite his hard work on the mats, the NCAA gymnast has found it tough to adjust to society. 

Sam Phillips is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Thus, he knows the amount of taboo that most people have with the issue. In order to address the same, the young gymnast has been an active advocate for the community. Back in 2024, Phillips took on the role of student-athlete ambassador at the 2024 Athlete Ally Action Awards. Unfortunately, despite him trying his best to spread awareness, Phillips has had to deal with a lot of negativity.

Things got tough for the ex-Nebraska gymnast as his very own teammates did not provide the support that he expected from them. But it seems Phillips’s determination is unwavering. Instead of giving up hope, the NCAA gymnast kept spreading awareness, hoping to change the community for good. In an exclusive interview published on ‘Inside Gymnastics’ on January 15, 2025, Phillps stated, “Being able to be comfortable around your teammates was the hard part for me.” He further added, “It was like balancing friendship and setting boundaries and kind of being forced to be friends with people who don’t agree with my lifestyle, or don’t even agree with me as a person.” 

Phillips further explained that the most important part for him was to impart the proper knowledge and inclusivity to people. That way, people would know the actual history before making comments that might hurt the sentiments of the community. “And so, a big thing for me is inclusion and education and making sure people know the history behind remarks, words, microaggressions and bigoted statements,” Phillips reflected. 

After switching jerseys, Phillips has continued his work for the community. The gymnast has signed up with leadership teams, which provide platforms for discussion. Events like ‘open table talks’ are conducted that allow people to freely share their experiences without the fear of being judged. And while doing so, Phillips aspires to be a role model for the queer community and anyone to look up to in the future. 

Sam Phillips wants to be a role model in the future

Sam Phillips has never been afraid to take on new challenges. Coming as one of the handful of openly gay gymnasts in the NCAA, Phillips puts immense stress on remaining true to his identity. Back in Nebraska and now in Illinois, Phillips wants to channel his leadership roles to put more stress on inclusivity. Reflecting on the same, the NCAA gymnast stated, “Inclusivity is huge for me… Especially being able to be someone in a space where you are a minority and showing others that you can be yourself,” way back in March 2023, as reported by ‘The Daily Nebraskan.’

Growing up, Phillips did not have a role model to follow. Thus, he wants to change it by becoming a role model himself. Narrating his experiences on how a role model would have helped him feel comfortable in his skin, the gymnast said, “Seeing others like me would have been huge for me.” Thus, he added, “So I do it for the boys behind me who need to see me in these spaces to be comfortable with myself growing up.” 

Surely, working relentlessly towards his goals, Phillips had a huge accomplishment. He also helped in starting the very first chapter for student-athletes, which is a safe space for queer student-athletes and their allies to express themselves freely, as stated by ‘The Daily Nebraskan’ in March 2023. Thus, trying to bring in a revolution, Sam Phillips has come a long way. It will now be interesting to see how far he can actually take his good work into the future.