American Olympic diver, LGBT activist, and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games on both the springboard and platform. He is the only male and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games. In 1984, he received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
As a Junior Olympic competitor, Louganis caught the eye of Sammy Lee, two-time Olympic champion, who began coaching him. At sixteen Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O’Brien.
Louganis was a favorite for two golds in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, but an American boycott of the games prevented him from participating. Louganis won two titles at the world championships in 1982, where he became the first diver in a major international meeting to get a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, with record scores and leads over his opponents, Louganis won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events.
At the time of the 1988 accident, Louganis did not disclose to the public that he was HIV positive, a diagnosis he had received six months before the Olympics.His doctor placed him on the antiretroviral drug AZT, which he took every four hours round-the-clock. As expected of the culture at that time, most of his corporate sponsors dropped him as a client when his HIV status was announced in 1995. The exception was swimsuit manufacturer Speedo, which retained him as an endorser of its products until 2007. After his announcement, people in and out of the international diving community began to question Louganis’s decision not to disclose his HIV status at the time of his head injury during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, even though blood in a pool posed no risk. The blood was diluted by thousands of gallons of water, and “chlorine kills HIV”, said John Ward, chief of HIV-AIDS surveillance at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, skin is a very effective barrier to HIV. Only a diver with an open wound would face any risk. “If the virus just touches the skin, it is unheard of for it to cause infection: the skin has no receptors to bind HIV”, explained Anthony Fauci.
Louganis was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame on August 2, 2013.
In 2015, Louganis was presented the Bonham Centre Award from The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for his contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification.
World Liberty TV’S Executive Producer Dr, Abbey interviewed Greg Louganis at the Alliance for Positive Change , Gala where Mr Louganis was honored with the change makers award, see more about Greg Louganis in World Liberty TV .
Erik Wahl is an artist, entrepreneur and bestselling author of Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius and Unchain the Elephant: Reframe Your Thinking to Unleash Your Potential. Pulling from his history as both a businessman and an artist, Wahl’s work is focused on unlocking the creative genius within all of us. He has shared his powerful message with leading companies including AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize, among many others, while his artwork has raised millions of dollars for charities.
Erik’s understanding of vision was originally born in the school of disappointment. After an eight-year career as a partner at a corporate firm, he became frustrated by the lack of innovative thought and corresponding profits he saw in business. So he set out to challenge companies to change their way of thinking while simultaneously pursuing his own individual passions. He rediscovered his love for art, and now plays in the business world by working through his artistic expression. Erik’s on-stage painting seamlessly becomes a visual metaphor that is the core of his message, encouraging organizations toward profitability through innovations and superior performance.
Erik Wahl spoke at the WOBI Forum NYC, and he covered the following Topics:
Uncovering new ways to make your organization more creative, innovative and profitable.
Helping your employees understand the need to become better storytellers within and for your company.
Embracing change: Leveraging chaos to capitalize on opportunities.
How to sustain excellence in a changing economy: On working smarter, not harder.
See More Videos like these about world renowned artists in our World Liberty TV .
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi earned 60 men’s singles titles, including eight Grand Slams, over a 20-year career that was characterized by a talent, drive and passion that transcended the game. Since retiring from tennis in 2006, Agassi has increased his focus on the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, which has raised over $180 million for education reform since he founded it back in 1994.
A tennis prodigy who began playing the game at the age of three, Agassi enjoyed a meteoric rise up the rankings after turning professional at the age of 16. He overcame the disappointment of losing his first three Grand Slam finals to win at Wimbledon in 1992, and would go on to become the first male player in history to win all four of the Grand Slam titles, as well as the Olympic gold medal, in one year. Over the course of his career, Agassi was forced to overcome many hurdles as he battled with both the physical demands of the game and the intense psychological pressure that came with his fame and fortune.
In addition to his incredible achievements in tennis, Agassi has devoted much of his time to the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, which he founded in 1994. Since retiring in 2006, Andre Agassi has increased his focus on his foundation and on promoting education reform, raising $180 million dollars to date to benefit its mission. In 2009, he released his autobiography, Open, which reached the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list, and in 2011 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Andre Agassi spoke at the WOBI Forum NYC, and he covered the following Topics:
Talent is just the start: What it takes to become the best in the world and sustain success over the long term.
Developing the mental strength to give you the edge when the pressure is on.
Getting your team right: Identifying the skills and characteristics you need in those around you.
How to bounce back from the inevitable setbacks, failures and criticisms.
Setting goals and staying true to yourself: On authenticity and the importance of giving back.
See more videos like these in our World Liberty TV Sports Channels.
