Elina Gustafsson’s life changed when she came out.
Elina Gustafsson came out of the closet during vocational school. Atte Kajova
Ex-boxer Elina Gustafsson remembers in the fresh BFF pod – episode, how difficult it was for him to accept his own sexual identity when he was young.
– As long as I can remember, I have always known that I was a lesbian, and it was absolutely terrible, she says.
Gustafsson, who is from Pori, says that the atmosphere in the city was not particularly positive for sexual minorities, which made the situation difficult for him.
– With all my love to Pori, but it’s not known what a safe place is there, he jokes with a laugh.
Gustafsson came out of the closet during vocational school with his first girlfriend. He says that the experience changed his life completely, when he no longer had to hide himself.
– It felt like a whole new shift in life had started, he recalls.
Although the relationship with the first girlfriend felt liberating, Gustafsson later discovered that the person in question was not the right one for him.
– But he was an important moment for me on that path.
The couple divorced when Gustafsson was 16. A few years later, he ran into his ex-partner in a bar, and the encounter was not particularly warm.
– He threw the balls in my face and said that I ruined his life, Gustafsson says.
Despite everything, Gustafsson does not hold a grudge, but says that he hopes that the woman is doing well these days.
The presenters laugh together and say that many people have a similar relationship in the background, regardless of their sexual orientation.
– That happens to everyone, whether they are straight, lesbian or gay, I think everyone has a relationship like that behind them.
After ending her boxing career, Elina Gustafsson has worked as a motivational speaker and has visited schools to tell her own story, among other things. He is also an active advocate of both animal and human rights on social media.
Gustafsson participated in autumn 2021 Dancing with the stars – program and at the same time made history by forming the first same-sex couple in the Finnish version of the program with his dance partner Ansku Bergström.
In December 2021, the two announced on social media that they were dating, and they got engaged in April 2023. The couple divorced in January 2025.