Rudy Galindo Biography

1969-

American figure skater

Rudy Galindo's story is in many ways the classic American rags-to-riches tale of overcoming adversity to triumph in the end. Again and again, Galindo has over-come personal tragedies and professional setbacks that would have defeated many other athletes. When the departure of Kristi Yamaguchi from their hugely successful skating partnership left him high-and-dry, he struggled with limited success to make up for lost time in men's singles competitions. Just when almost everyone had counted him out, he returned to win the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating National Championship, right in his own hometown.

But in addition to his grit and perseverance, there is an integrity at the heart of Galindo's story, a rare

Rudy Galindo

courage that allowed him to come out of the closet as one of the very few openly gay athletes. That same courage came through when he announced that he had been diagnosed HIV-positive in 2000, and it has continued to shine through in this greatest battle of his life.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY GALINDO:

(With Eric Marcus) Icebreaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo, New York: Pocket Books, 1997.