The stadium may be empty. But among our souvenirs is a brave declaration by Australian trampolinist Ji Wallace, who won silver at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He was so inspired by the words of Olympic champ Greg Louganis – featured in QX last week – that he went public with his own HIV status. David McGillivray found out more…
Tell us about your experience as a gay athlete before you came out in 2005.
I have been an athlete in the small but well-loved sport of trampoline since the age of 8. I was always gay but like everyone, I experimented. At the Olympics my sexuality was not my priority. My priority was my jumping, my training, my recovery and my competitions. Coming out after the games I was well supported and loved by the people around me who counted.
How many out Australian athletes were there already?
There were not many athletes out when I decided to come out. My coming out wasn’t about shocking anyone. It was about answering questions people had about me correctly. I also saw it as my first opportunity to help anyone out there struggling with their sexuality.
A remarkably small percentage of the competitors [23 out of more than 10,000] in the 2012 Olympics was openly gay. It’s thought that a much larger number of gay competitors weren’t prepared to come out. What do you make of this?
I am a big believer in coming out when you are ready and not before, not on anyone else’s terms. Many athletes make so many sacrifices to excel in their chosen sports and I would hate it to ever distract someone from winning gold.
How much prejudice still exists in the world of sport?
Prejudice exists everywhere in society, not just sport. We need to fight this at the highest level by making laws guarding against it; but also we need to fight even harder at a grass roots level as this is the breeding ground for hate and discrimination. It is just heart-wrenching to hear hate speeches coming from neighbours, teachers, churches, the police, our governments and, worst of all, from family and friends.
What prejudice have you suffered personally?
I was bullied pretty hard at school, so much so that I changed schools. I always justified changing schools because of locations; but in truth it was because of the bullshit that was thrown at me. Now those guys are stuck in bad marriages with bad shoes and I think who is the winner now?
What did you feel when you saw the interview with Greg Louganis?
I have always been a fan of Greg’s and to listen to Piers Morgan take an interest in Greg’s life, not just his HIV, was heart-warming. As a good friend of mine says, “Our lives are like a chocolate cake and HIV is just a slice.”
Did you discuss making your HIV status public with your boyfriend?
Yes, of course I discussed it with him. I told him the day we met and he was so unbelievably accepting that it took my breath away. Plain and simple – he is my hero.
Just as Louganis was an inspiration to you, you seem to have been an inspiration to others. How do you feel about this?
I am truly overwhelmed and incredibly thankful to be able to inspire people from all walks of life to live their best lives. Over 33 million people live with HIV and this disease affects the lives of so many more around them. I am encouraged to become an anti-stigma warrior. I have been given the opportunity to fight and fight I will.
Is it more of a challenge to come out as HIV+ than gay?
In today’s society? Yes for sure. There is still stigma attached to being gay (some uneducated people have written that all gay people have HIV). But the HIV stigma from within our own community is still rife. I am now on a mission to get the real truth out there.
If more gay sportsmen are encouraged to come out as a result of your statement, what do you think the result might be?
That is certainly not my goal. I am telling my story to encourage people of all shapes and sizes to live their lives like they are a chocolate cake. Big and delicious. And if someone chooses to come out in that time, I want them to know I am only a Facebook message away.
• The Ji Wallace Foundation will be online in the coming weeks at thejiwallacefoundation.com
