, ▁Wales . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁fl uent ▁Wel sh ▁speaker . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁school ▁techn ician ▁at ▁ ▁in ▁L l anel li , ▁the ▁same ▁school ▁attended ▁by ▁Wel sh ▁international ▁D way ne ▁Pe el , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁youth ▁worker ▁with ▁M enter ▁C w m ▁G wend ra eth . ▁Before ▁that ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁farm , ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁year , ▁as ▁a ▁farm hand . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁O w ens ▁public ly ▁came ▁out ▁as ▁gay ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Wales ▁on ▁Sunday . ▁Re action ▁was ▁mostly ▁support ive . ▁O w ens ▁said ▁that ▁coming ▁out ▁was ▁a ▁difficult ▁decision , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁cont empl ated ▁suic ide ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 6 . ▁It ' s ▁such ▁a ▁big ▁tab oo ▁to ▁be ▁gay ▁in ▁my ▁line ▁of ▁work , ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁think ▁very ▁hard ▁about ▁it ▁because ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁je op ard ise ▁my ▁career . ▁Com ing ▁out ▁was ▁very ▁difficult ▁and ▁I ▁tried ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁who ▁I ▁really ▁was ▁for ▁years . ▁I ▁knew ▁I ▁was ▁' d ifferent ' ▁from ▁my ▁late ▁te ens , ▁but ▁I ▁was ▁just ▁living ▁a ▁lie . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Rugby ▁World ▁Cup , ▁O w ens ▁was ▁named ▁' G ay ▁Sports ▁Person ality ▁of ▁the ▁Year ' ▁at ▁gay ▁rights ▁group ▁Stone wall '