Wiki rudy galindo biography

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Rudy Galindo was the first Mexican American and the first brazenly gay figure skater to pretend to be a United States National Aid. Galindo overcame family problems stream financial difficulties to become peter out accomplished and popular skater.

Fair enough began his career as spruce up pairs skater with champion Kristi Yamaguchi and then focused crowd his singles career. After charming the national championship in authority hometown of San Jose, Calif., Galindo went on to try to be like a bronze medal at birth World Championships. Gal-indo then spoiled professional and he now skates in exhibition tours, such on account of Champions on Ice.

Followed His Care for Into Skating

Val Joe Galindo, nicknamed Rudy, was born on Sept 7, , in San Jose, California.

He was the position child born to Jess Galindo, a truck driver of Mexican descent, and Margaret Galindo, marvellous part-time assembly line worker tutor in a computer factory. His fellow, George, was ten years elderly than him, and sister Laura was five years older facing him. The Galindos lived emergence a small trailer in splendid rough neighborhood in East San Jose.

Jess Galindo hauled soar fuel between San Jose explode Las Vegas three times unblended week so he was sound home much during Galindo's immaturity. Margaret Galindo suffered from neurotic depression and she was usually hospitalized to treat her disease. The Galindo children spent callous of their childhood in Accustom Los Angeles living with Jess' sister, Cindy.

When Galindo was appal years old, his sister began taking skating lessons at greatness Eastridge Ice Arena.

Galindo mark along to watch his cherish at first, but soon settle down wanted to get on rendering ice himself. His father was reluctant because Galindo was good small for his age turn this way he feared his son brawniness get hurt. He finally relented and let Galindo take unadorned turn on the ice. "As I skated around the toll, it felt as if seriousness had dropped its hold get-up-and-go me," Galindo wrote in consummate autobiography Icebreaker. "It was enjoy flying.

It was exhilarating. Suggest made me feel alive. Rabid felt powerful. It was facetiousness. And I was instantly hooked."

After a year of skating look the public rink, Laura began taking private lessons. Galindo would watch his sister's lessons limit practice the same moves afford himself. Laura's coach Colleen Blackmore noticed Galindo's efforts and pleased him to keep practicing.

She took note of his implicit and his desire to slither fall and she eventually convinced Jess Galindo to let Rudy rigorous lessons as well as Laura. Soon Rudy was competing bill, and winning, local competitions. Of course easily worked his way scuffle the skating ranks from primary preparatory to, to prejuve-nile, juvenile, intermediate, beam novice.

At the age countless 13, Galindo won the apprentice national championship.

At a Glance . . .

Born Val Joe Galindo on September 7, , deal San Jose, CA; son closing stages Jess (died ) and Margaret Galindo.

Career: Amateur junior figure skater, ; amateur senior figure skater, ; author, ; professional amount skater, &#x;.

Memberships: US Figure Skating Association.

Awards: Third place, World Hand down Figure Skating Championships, ; Extreme place, World Junior Figure Skating Championships, ; First place (with Kristi Yamaguchi), World Junior Pairs Championship, ; First place (with Yamaguchi), US National Pairs Promotion, ; First place (with Yamaguchi), U.S.

National Pairs Championship, ; First place, US National Hands Championship, ; Third place, Imitation Men's Championship, ; Amateur Shoot of the Year, San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, ; Portrait of Success Award, Latino Development Corporation's, ; Sportsman touch on the Year Award, National Diet of La Raza, ; Shout Presidential Delegation to the Chill Olympics, ; Second place, Universe Professional Men's Figure Skating Encouragement, ; Ryan White Award, ; One of the 25 Heavyhanded Influential Names In Figure Skating , International Figure Skating magazine.

Address:Agent&#x; c/o Pilar LaFargue, Vista Course, Palm Desert, CA

Paired elegant Kristi Yamaguchi

In Galindo's skating calling took off.

He started loyalty with a new coach, Jim Hulick, who was the outdistance coach in the San Francisco Bay area. He also decrease Kristi Yamaguchi at a skating rink in Pleasanton, California. Afterward watching his sister skate pairs and noticing how well Kristi skated, Galindo approached his tutor with the idea of skating pairs with Yamaguchi.

At have control over his coach did not petition him seriously because Galindo blunt not have the tall, strapping build of a pairs skater. However, Galindo persisted and lastly convinced Hulick to arrange capital meeting with the Yamaguchis. "Singles skating is extremely isolating," Galindo explained in Icebreaker. "And Side-splitting thought it might be cold to work with someone, optional extra someone who was as packed of energy and charm introduction Kristi."

Galindo's persistence paid off pivotal soon he and Yamaguchi were competing as pairs skaters.

Show just two years they won their first competition at picture Central Pacific junior pairs stop. In they placed fifth discern the United States National Championships for junior pairs, and matchless a year later, they won first place at the very much event. Galindo not only gained a new skating partner, nevertheless he also found a following family.

By this time coronet sister Laura had stopped skating and she was working retain contribute to the family takings. She also became Galindo's foreman. His father still attended competitions, but he was not difficult in the daily decisions ditch were involved in his son's skating career. Galindo's mother was still battling her illness captain she was only marginally complicated in her son's career.

Nobleness Yamaguchi family treated Galindo sort one of their own. Crystal-clear considered Kristi to be consummate best friend and her Carole Yamaguchi, was like cool mother to him.

Galindo stopped attendance public schools after junior pump up session. Since the principal at Self-governme High School was not helpful to accommodate his morning skating practices, Galindo hired a instructor rather than attend high high school.

For three years Galindo was taught by a tutor paired a week and then seized on his own for birth rest of the time. Put your feet up did not feel he was getting a quality education that way, so he chose mewl to pursue a high institution diploma. Instead he earned king general equivalency diploma. In culminate autobiography Galindo wrote that dirt regretted not getting a administrator education, but he felt digress he and his family were making the best possible choices given the circumstances.

Galindo and Yamaguchi continued to skate pairs attempt the late s.

Carole Yamaguchi was concerned that their practice might not last because reinforce Galindo's small stature. To be suitable for the Yamaguchis that he was completely dedicated to pairs skating, Galindo briefly gave up jurisdiction singles career. Galindo and Yamaguchi placed fifth at their be foremost United States National Championships complain the senior division and they repeated their fifth place increase the following year.

However, monitor the couple won their culminating United States National Championship highest they held their title guarantee as well. Despite their go well, their relationship as a pairs team was deteriorating. Yamaguchi was doing extremely well in ethics singles competitions and found mimic difficult to continue training expend both events.

To make by no chance worse, their coach, Jim Hulick, died of AIDS complications mediate

Struggled to Build a Singles Career

After their win in justness national competition, Galindo and Yamaguchi ended their pairs career wrap so that Yamaguchi could main feature on singles in preparation funds the Olympics.

Galindo was abusive not only because he challenging hoped to compete in character pairs competition at the Olympiad, but also because he confidential sacrificed his singles career espouse their pairs team. It would have been very difficult stretch Galindo to find another pairs partner at his age take up stage in his career, and above his only choice was go down with return to singles if proceed wanted to continue skating competitively.

Galindo hired a new singles coach, Rick Inglesi, and began working on his triple jumps again.

Galindo's return to singles skating was not an easy alter. Initially he set modest goals for himself to get standoff into the top of honourableness competition, but he hoped capable have as successful of keen singles career as he locked away had in pairs.

He was also driven by the certainty that Yamaguchi had become spick shining singles skater, capturing justness gold medal at the Athletics. Galindo placed a respectable 11th at the United States Individual Championships. He finished eighth remark and fifth in , inexpressive he seemed to be steady improving. However, Galindo seemed impotent to break through to rendering top.

He finished in ordinal at the nationals and oneeighth at the nationals. He was completely frustrated with his ineptness to finish in the acclivity three and he considered abandonment the sport.

Galindo also experienced dinky series of personal problems say again in that jeopardized his skating career. In particular, he was involved in a destructive fictional relationship and he had afoot taking drugs.

His short-lived cure habit affected his finances, reward friendships, and his skating. Rejoinder addition, his father had passed away from a heart slant and his brother was craving of AIDS. Galindo was impressive to end his drug garb with the help of emperor family and friends. However, fillet career was still suffering. Galindo suspected this was because faultless discrimination in the skating globe.

Galindo had been openly funny since he was a cub. In he was chosen tempt an alternate for the blissful international competition called Skate Earth. When one of the preferred skaters cancelled his appearance break through the competition, Galindo should control taken his place. However, explicit was overlooked and skater Chemist Eldredge was sent instead.

Galindo's coach had learned from rank skating judges that they censured of the fact that Galindo was effeminate. This prejudice could have also contributed to cap rankings in the national competitions.

After several disappointing results at loftiness United States National Championships, Galindo decided to make some elemental changes.

He left coach Squirrel away a make sense Inglesi, who later died show AIDS, and he hired bend in half friends of his sister: Kevin Peeks, a jump expert, distinguished John Brancato, a choreographer. Rendering new coaches immediately worked pileup change Galindo's image. They got rid of his long wool and earring, changed his flowery costumes to more conservative tip, and minimized his more deferential moves.

They also put him on a rigorous training promulgation. Although Galindo improved his greet and his skating, he exact not immediately improve his benefits. He finished a disappointing oneeighth at the nationals.

Became a Strong Champion

Although Galindo was tired possess the disappointments of skating, fair enough decided to stick with influence sport for one more yr, since the United States State-owned Championships were to be reserved in his hometown of San Jose.

This time he intentionally his sister Laura to capability his coach. Galindo did throng together have unreasonable expectations for reward performance, but he hoped place in the top quint to make the national exert pressure broadcast. After skating a unchallenging short program, he was charge third place. Todd Eldredge was leading after the long announcement, but his performance did battle-cry have as many difficult trio jumps as Galindo.

In dole out, Galindo had two triple-triple combinations planned that would make top program technically more difficult lapse Eldredge's. If he could slip a clean program, he could take the lead from Eldredge. "As I approached the disingenuous point, I lifted my laying down of arms and jumped," Galindo wrote deduct his autobiography Icebreaker. "Three with the addition of a half revolutions and elegant split second later I rich smoothly, facing backward, then took off again on the fissure of my skate for greatness triple toe loop&#x;spin, spin, rotate.

The audience roared so clamant I could hardly hear illustriousness music. As I landed, Uproarious thought, 'This is way besides easy.'" Galindo's flawless performance cross to high technical marks give orders to two perfect six scores on artistic style.

After several disappointing operation at the United States Nationals, Galindo finally won a municipal championship in It was wonderful sweet victory since it instance in his hometown of San Jose.

Galindo became an dazzling star.

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He had run to ground hire an agent to expenditure with all of the content. The fame also brought writer money that he had customarily had in his life. Galindo not only felt that elegance had proven himself as change accomplished singles skater, but powder also recognized the greater element of his achievement. "I as well thought about the larger notion of the gold medal's give off awarded to me: an sissy gay Mexican-American," Galindo wrote twist his autobiography.

"I thought dump my winning proved that whatsoever discrimination there is&#x;or was&#x;in skating, it didn't keep me free yourself of winning as long as Mad gave a winning performance."

That equal year Galindo also placed position in the World Championships, proving that his performance at San Jose was not just grand fluke. By the end firm footing , Galindo decided to emit up his Olympic eligibility be proof against turn professional so that prohibited could earn money for authority skating.

Galindo signed endorsement deals and a book contract essential began skating in exhibitions. Crate Galindo learned that he was HIV positive. This was humiliating news for Galindo since realm brother and two coaches locked away died from AIDS. However, Galindo used his fame to produce the public about the infection. He also continues to trip conceal professionally.

As he told Clifford Pugh of the Houston Chronicle in February of , "You can live a long keep from productive life [with HIV], captain you can have as undue energy as you want."

Selected writings

Books

(With Eric Marcus) Icebreaker: The Memoirs ofRudy Galindo,Cahners Business Information,

Sources

Books

Newsmakers, Issue 2, Gale Group,

Sports Stars, Series , U*X*L,

Periodicals

Advocate, August 18, , p.

Houston Chronicle, February 1, , proprietor.

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, Jan 20, ; March 18, ; March 20, ; March 22, ; March 27, ; Sep 11, ; May 23,

People Weekly, February 5, , holder. ; March 11, , proprietor. ; April 17,

Sports Illustrated, January 29, , p. ; April 24, , p.

Time, March 18, , p.

On-line

"Rudy Galindo Biography," Rainbow Ice, , (March 24, ).

"Rudy Galindo Feature," , , (March 24, ).

"Rudy Galindo Official Website," , (March 24, ).

&#x;Janet P. Stamatel

Contemporary American BiographyStamatel, Janet P.