10 Jaw-Droppingly Awesome and Motivational Tweets From Olympic Figure Skater Adam Rippon The openly gay bronze medalist has described himself as 'America's sweetheart' after gaining attention for his funny and honest Twitter presence.

By Lydia Belanger

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Roberto Schmidt​ | Getty Images

U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon is making a name for himself both on the ice rink and on social media.

In early January, the 28-year-old became the first openly gay American man to qualify for the Winter Olympics and quickly found himself -- and his sassy, candid tweets -- in the spotlight.

Related: The Inspiring Stories of These Trailblazing, Triumphant U.S. Olympic Athletes Will Warm Your Heart

"I've always spoken my mind and from the heart," Rippon told the Associated Press. "I think America's just catching up. The other day I was joking to one of my friends and he was like, you're kind of everywhere now. I said, "I know, I'm like America's sweetheart.'"

His tweets have gained the attention of Vice President Mike Pence, Donald Trump Jr. and actress Reese Witherspoon, in addition to nearly a quarter-million followers. He's posted many jokes and inspirational messages from his account even from PyeongChang, where he helped the U.S. figure skating team earn a bronze medal on Feb. 12.

"It might come off as cocky, but I've been through a lot in my life," Rippon added. "I've used my sense of humor as a coping tool. It's gotten me through a lot of challenging times."

Click through to see how Rippon communicates with fans -- and "haters" -- via the social platform.

He lets his personality shine through.

He called out Vice President Mike Pence.

In an interview with USA Today Sports published Jan. 17, Rippon responded to the news that Vice President Mike Pence would be present at the PyeongChang Olympics.

He said he wouldn't go out of his way to meet with Pence during the games, based on the widespread belief that the vice president implied support of gay conversion therapy earlier in his political career.

After Pence's team released a statement denying his support of the practice, Rippon fired back.

Pence has since tweeted at Rippon refuting the claims and showing his support for the athletes in PyeongChang.

And he calls out his haters.

Here's an example of him firing back at one who asked via Twitter, "So is he skating with the women?":

He exudes confidence.

He invokes his mom frequently.

He’s embraced Reese Witherspoon’s adoration of him.

He's even thanked Witherspoon offline in an interview, elevating the actress above his mom in a tongue-in-cheek way.

He’s extremely unfiltered.

He spins negativity into pep talks.

He stays down to Earth.

He expresses pride.

Lydia Belanger is a former associate editor at Entrepreneur. Follow her on Twitter: @LydiaBelanger.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This Gen Zer's Stylish Side Hustle Earns About $20,000 a Month and Paid Off His Parents' $200,000 Debt: 'I Enjoy the Hands-Off Nature'

Ray Cao went from working as a barista for $8 an hour to being a successful seller on online marketplace StockX.

Starting a Business

I Was a 25-Year-Old Nurse When I Started a Side Hustle to Combat Anxiety. It Made $1 Million in 7 Months — Then Sold for a Life-Changing Amount.

Sarah Michelle Boes knew there had to be a better way to prepare for her stress-inducing nurse practitioner's exam — so she created it.

Business News

Video Shows Neuralink's First Human Brain Chip Patient Playing Chess: 'It Has Already Changed My Life'

The company, which was founded by Elon Musk, wants to know who's next.