Jerry Windle knew since he was a small child that he wanted to be a father. However, because he was a single gay man, he was frequently told by others that he would never be able to become a parent.

«Even people who loved me told me that you can’t be a parent if you’re gay. «It’s simply not possible,» he stated.

Then, in the most incredible way possible, he proved to everyone that they were wrong.

Being homosexual and trying to start a family was not an option when I was a teenager in the late 1990s.

«There was such hatred and prejudice around the notion of a homosexual person becoming a parent,» Jerry said.

He didn’t believe it until he read a magazine article about a father who had adopted a child from Cambodia. He changed his mind at that point. Because there was no mention of a mother in the story, Jerry’s desire to become a parent was sparked.

He didn’t waste any time calling the adoption agency mentioned in the article, and he couldn’t believe it when they told him he was qualified to be a parent! A few months later, he found himself in an orphanage in Cambodia, holding a sickly 2-year-old child.

«I didn’t know whether he’d live or die.»

Despite the fact that the malnourished child weighed only 16 pounds and was suffering from an infection, the happy new father fell in love with his son the moment he saw him.

Despite the fact that the odds appeared to be stacked against both of them, Jerry made a promise to the little child right then and there that he would assist him.

As a father, Jerry would make any and all necessary sacrifices to ensure that his child had access to the wide range of opportunities that were rightfully his throughout his life.

And Jerry kept his word on that commitment! His son, Jordan Windle, went on to be a member of the United States men’s diving team that competed in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

He was the first person of Cambodian ancestry to achieve this milestone.

Jordan began training for the Olympics when he was only seven years old. He won his first junior national championship two years after asking his father for permission to enroll in diving classes. That was virtually unheard of in the sport.

Jordan returned to Cambodia when he was sixteen years old to compete in a diving competition. But something unexpected happened while he was there.
He was greeted by a swarm of reporters, all of whom had heard of Jordan thanks to the internet.

In Cambodia, he is regarded as something of a national hero.

«When we got off the plane, I looked everywhere because I thought Angelina Jolie had just arrived or something,» Jerry explained. We had a strong suspicion that someone famous, such as Cambodia’s monarch or Angelina Jolie, was in the building.»

Because Jordan is so proud of his heritage, he decided to get a tattoo of the Cambodian flag on his arm so that it would be visible while he is diving.

“People in Cambodia really think Jordan was here to bring light,” Jerry said on Good Morning America.

And Jerry is the loving dad, whether he is single or not, and helps that light shine even brighter.

“I’m even more fortunate that he is my son. I’m more fortunate as a human than I have ever been for him.”

Watch the video below to learn more about the amazing journey of this family.

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