Rudy Galindo Biography - A Trailer Park Childhood, A Prodigy And A Partnership, Difficult Times, Turnaround And Triumph - SELECTED WRITINGS BY GALINDO:
figure american courage athletes
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.
Additional Topics
Rudy Galindo was born in 1969 to Mexican-American parents Jess and Margaret Galindo in San Jose, California. Jess was a long-distance trucker who was often away from home. Margaret suffered from manic-depression (undiagnosed until 1983) that led to hospitalizations. Even when she lived at home, she was often not able to take care of the children. Galindo had an older brother, George, but much of t…
Galindo began to devote virtually all his free time to skating. He and Laura would get up at 4:45 in the morning to practice skating before school. Even with that, Galindo was often late, and he actually had to change schools to find a principal willing to accommodate this chronic lateness. The money for lessons also began to put a crimp in the family budget, and when it became too expensive Laura…
Reluctantly, Galindo returned to the men's singles competitions. He won the Pacific Coast regionals, but the results at the Nationals were disappointing. He placed 11th in 1991, climbed to 8th place in 1992, and then peaked at 5th place in 1993. In the 1994 Nationals, he placed 7th, and in 1995 was back at 8th place. At this point Galindo considered dropping out of competition altogether. H…
Then in the fall of 1995, something seemed to happen inside Galindo. For one thing he began to help out his sister in teaching young skaters. This rekindled his original love of the sport. When he found out that the 1996 Nationals would be held in San Jose, his hometown, he decided to give it one last try—a farewell performance if need be, but one to be proud of. He began to train more seri…
Already, Galindo had signed on with the Tom Collins Campbell's Soup Tour of World Figure Skating Champions, for $200,000—more money than he'd ever seen. He also signed deals for his autobiography, a made-for-TV movie, and exhibitions, including the Champions on Ice. For the first time in his life, money was not an issue. Wisely, he let Laura handle much of the finances. From a…
Address: Rudy Galindo, U.S. Figure Skating Association, 20 First St., Colorado Springs, CO 80906-3624.
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Rudy Galindo and Eric Marcus. Icebreaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo. New York. Pocket Books, 1997. Croft, T.S. "Rudy Galindo"Advocate (August 18, 1998): 69. Duffy, Martha. "Edge of a dream: having overcome tragedy, Rudy Galindo is poised to win figure skating's world title." Time (March 18, 1996): 84. "The fall most feared." People Weekly (A…
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