The day Magic Johnson announced he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, Greg Louganis remembers thinking, "Maybe I should come out and join him."
That's because the Olympic diver had tested positive in early 1988, more than three years before Johnson's disclosure. Louganis decided instead to keep his status private.Six months after the news about Johnson, Arthur Ashe announced that he had AIDS. Still, Louganis remained silent.
He had kept his terrible secret through the 1988 Olympics and the frightening accident when he hit his head on the diving board.
When it came time to do his autobiography, co-author Eric Marcus asked about the accident in Seoul. Louganis took a deep breath and said, "Stop the tape. We've got to talk."
It was then that Louganis decided his book, "Breaking The Surface," would address being gay and testing positive, first for HIV and now for AIDS.
"You don't realize how powerful secrets can be," Louganis said. "I dreaded speaking engagements. I had to always watch what I said. I couldn't tell the whole story."