Rudy Galindo
Figure Skating

He doesn't think it's a big deal. In fact, he's never really been in the closet, but more and more people are happy that gay figure skater Rudy Galindo not only came out about his sexual orientation, but was the first of many gay skaters to do so. Galindo also shared his impoverished upbringing, his problems with drugs and drinking, and the hectic and sometimes back-stabbing world of figure skating, in his autobiography, Ice Breaker. "My team-mates treated me with more respect once I was out," he says of his new status. "Straight guys feel comfortable putting their arm around me. And I like that. I'm happy with who I am."

The age factor is also a breakthrough for the San Jose-based Mexican-American with a captivating smile. In 1996, not only was Galindo one of the oldest, but he was also the only out-of-the-closet skater to win the national championship.

From PlanetOut News Staff, Wednesday, April 5, 2000:

Rudy Galindo, the first open gay and the first Mexican-American ever to hold the U.S. national men's figure skating championship, has HIV. He revealed his status in an exclusive interview with USA Today on April 4; as he went on to tell the Associated Press AP, "I didn't want to hide this illness. I didn't want to live a lie. I've always wanted to be truthful." Galindo learned of his infection March 1 in the course of treatment for a bout of pneumonia that took him off the ice in February and then forced him to withdraw midway through the Goodwill Games. He's now taking three kinds of medication and expects to begin the Champions on Ice tour in Baltimore, Maryland on April 6.

AIDS has already left its tragic mark on Galindo's life, killing his coaches Jim Hulick and Rick Inglesi and his brother George. He told USA Today, "I took care of my brother and saw every day what he went through, and that was a nightmare, although I know he didn't take care of himself. And I think of that sometimes, but then I tell myself that it's different now, that the medicine is better and that I am very different from my brother. Still, you don't think it's going to happen to you, and now it has."

Galindo told the San Jose Mercury News that, "Physically, I feel great. I'm going to continue to skate. Everything's going to be fine." He told the AP, "I love skating. I wasn't going to stay home and just do nothing." "To be out there just makes me feel so good," he told USA Today. "My life has been a roller coaster. But people love roller coasters. That's not a bad thing. I know this: I'm enjoying life so much, I'll do anything to survive."

Galindo's life certainly has had its ups and downs. He grew up in a loving but impoverished family in East San Jose, California. He won national pairs skating titles with Kristi Yamaguchi in 1989 and 1990, but then Yamaguchi embarked on a successful solo career. It was in 1989 that Hulick died, followed by Galindo's father in 1993, his brother six months later, and Inglesi in 1995. In 1993 he finished fifth at the nationals, seventh in 1994, and eighth in 1995, leading him to leave the sport for six months. But his always supportive sister Laura brought him back to the ice and took over as his coach and financial support, until in January 1996 he surprised the world by finishing at number one with an unforgettable performance. 

At 26, he was the oldest national champion since 1926, and the first man to have won both pairs and singles titles since 1972. He went on to take bronze at the 1996 world championship. After some bitter conflicts with the management of U.S. amateur skating, he turned pro in September 1996 and became a millionaire in the process. Galindo's gay orientation became widely known as the result of an interview published in a book in 1996, and he went on to create an autobiography of his own, Icebreaker.

Galindo told the AP that now he draws inspiration from Magic Johnson, one of the first athletes to publicly announce he had HIV. Galindo hopes to pass that on, as he said, "If my story can help people, anybody at all, it is positive. I've always tried to help people, whether it be as a gay man, or a Mexican-American or now, as someone who is HIV positive."

Rudy's Book

This book is a wonderfully written heart-wrencher. Rudy tells the story of his personal life as well as his life on the ice. He talks about his tragedies, and setbacks. He talks about the year before that incredible night in San Jose when he was ready to give it all up. His moral is clear: never give up on your dreams. He made it as far as he did with little or no money, and just about every aspect of his life working against him in order to get to the top. This is a truly heartwarming story that will make anyone believe that dreams really can come true.

Reading: Icebreaker: The autobiography of Rudy Galindo

Web sites: Official Rudy Galindo site