Australian Olympian Ji Wallace last
week announce he is HIV positive.
In an August 8 letter sent to
Australia's Star Observer, Wallace, who is openly gay,
publicly shared his HIV status for the first time.
The 35-year-old gymnast who won a
silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games said he was inspired by
fellow Olympian Greg Louganis' public battle with HIV.
“I too am an Olympic medal winner
living with HIV,” Wallace said, referring to Louganis' recent
appearance on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight.
(Related: Greg
Louganis calls living with HIV “challenging.”)
“I have never publicly disclosed this
before but felt inspired by [the] interview … and by Anderson
Cooper's 'coming out' letter last month describing 'value in being
seen and heard' in the face of disturbing violence, bullying,
persecution and condemnation by peers, colleagues, government
officials and worst of all family and friends.”
“Being seen does have value. A voice
does have value. I have the support of my boyfriend, my great
friends and my loving parents. Many do not and this is, in part, for
them,” he
added.