Without hesitation,
2014年10月8日AIDS quietly ravages the sport of figure skating Rob McCall’s death forces sport to confront deadly virus
"I knew what this meant was that he was going to die," said Brian Orser, a two time Olympic men’s silver medalist. "Rob was going to be the first person who was a close friend who passed away from this. My first feeling was that it was so unfair."
Eventually, Mr. McCall’s friends engaged in a conspiracy, of sorts, to shield his illness from the public. It was a necessary dodge, enabling him to cross international borders and perform.
"A lot of people are close minded," Mr. Boitano said. "They think all skaters are gay. But the truth is, people in skating don’t talk about so and so being gay, and so and so not being gay. When I was coming up through the ranks, the surprise was hearing that someone was gay."
Even at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, the men’s medalists were asked if they were gay.
Gold medalist Viktor Petrenko burst out laughing, bronze medalist Peter Barna said his wife had just delivered a baby and Mr. Wylie said his girlfriend had cheered his silver medal performance.
"It’s something we have been teased our whole lives about," Mr. Wylie said. "It’s a price you have to pay to do something you love."
For Mr. McCall, skating wasn’t just about love and beauty it was about life itself. He was driven to compete again, despite AIDS. Two more bouts with pneumonia would not stop him. The spread of cancer would not prevent him from choreographing new programs.
Eventually, he returned to perform with Ms. Wilson.
Nearly two years before NBA players voiced their concerns about competing against an HIV positive opponent, driving Magic Johnson back into retirement, Ms. Wilson, then pregnant with her first child, quietly and some say courageously skated with Mr. McCall. Doctors told her she faced no risk skating with Mr. McCall and she declared: "I’m not afraid."
Mr. McCall and Ms. Wilson skated some exhibitions and made a wondrous comeback together to perform at the 1990 world professional championships in Landover. But, eventually, they had to split with the birth of Ms. Wilson’s son.
Soon, Mr. McCall became ill again with pneumonia, and then cancer attacked his brain. In his final months, in and out of hospitals, Mr. McCall hit upon the idea of a skating benefit for AIDS. It would draw all of the best performers in the sport in a night of fund raising and education.
He planned to speak of his illness to help others overcome fear. He even made some notes in preparation of writing a book. But, before he had a chance to speak out, to write, he became too weak.
"Ultimately, people who are infected with this disease have this wish that there was a cure yesterday," said Mr. Orser, the silver medalist. "We all know there is a lack of funds. And Rob asked for his friends wholesale jerseys to help."
McCall’s wholesale nfl jerseys final days
Skaters would come to Toronto and visit. Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Boitano and Ms. Witt and Mr. Orser. But, with AIDS, there is no reprieve from judges, no opportunity to choreograph a final, fitting exit.
In and out of consciousness, Mr. McCall spent the last weeks of his life at his apartment in Toronto.
The ravages of AIDS were apparent to all who saw Mr. McCall. His weight had dropped from 175 pounds to 85. Steroids, needed to reduce the swelling of his brain caused by cancer, had rendered him temporarily diabetic.
There were the treatments for pneumonia, the chemotherapy for cancer. There was even a time when he was unable to slip his skating boots over his feet because of tumors.
Finally, in the early morning of Nov. 15, a few minutes after his mother went out for a walk, Mr. McCall died, embraced by his younger brother Steven.
Without hesitation, the family revealed that Mr. McCall had died of AIDS related brain cancer, although they never disclosed how he contracted the disease.
The story was merely a footnote in the United States, the country still coming to terms with Magic Johnson’s announcement earlier in the week that he was HIV positive.
In Canada, the grieving was confined to Mr. McCall’s friends in skating. There was a who’s who list of skating stars at his funeral in Toronto. The Scott Joplin music opened the service. Soon, the crowd was laughing, and then crying, remembering Mr. McCall’s life, mourning his death.
"So many people were touched by Rob," said Evelyn McCall, his mother. "The big dream for Rob was that they would find a cure for him. But, you know, there are a lot of other people out there who have AIDS, and they have that same dream. I always remember a card that Rob once sent me. It said, ’Cry when you feel like crying. Be sad when you feel like being sad. But, after every storm, there has to be a rainbow.’ "
"I knew what this meant was that he was going to die," said Brian Orser, a two time Olympic men’s silver medalist. "Rob was going to be the first person who was a close friend who passed away from this. My first feeling was that it was so unfair."
Eventually, Mr. McCall’s friends engaged in a conspiracy, of sorts, to shield his illness from the public. It was a necessary dodge, enabling him to cross international borders and perform.
"A lot of people are close minded," Mr. Boitano said. "They think all skaters are gay. But the truth is, people in skating don’t talk about so and so being gay, and so and so not being gay. When I was coming up through the ranks, the surprise was hearing that someone was gay."
Even at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, the men’s medalists were asked if they were gay.
Gold medalist Viktor Petrenko burst out laughing, bronze medalist Peter Barna said his wife had just delivered a baby and Mr. Wylie said his girlfriend had cheered his silver medal performance.
"It’s something we have been teased our whole lives about," Mr. Wylie said. "It’s a price you have to pay to do something you love."
For Mr. McCall, skating wasn’t just about love and beauty it was about life itself. He was driven to compete again, despite AIDS. Two more bouts with pneumonia would not stop him. The spread of cancer would not prevent him from choreographing new programs.
Eventually, he returned to perform with Ms. Wilson.
Nearly two years before NBA players voiced their concerns about competing against an HIV positive opponent, driving Magic Johnson back into retirement, Ms. Wilson, then pregnant with her first child, quietly and some say courageously skated with Mr. McCall. Doctors told her she faced no risk skating with Mr. McCall and she declared: "I’m not afraid."
Mr. McCall and Ms. Wilson skated some exhibitions and made a wondrous comeback together to perform at the 1990 world professional championships in Landover. But, eventually, they had to split with the birth of Ms. Wilson’s son.
Soon, Mr. McCall became ill again with pneumonia, and then cancer attacked his brain. In his final months, in and out of hospitals, Mr. McCall hit upon the idea of a skating benefit for AIDS. It would draw all of the best performers in the sport in a night of fund raising and education.
He planned to speak of his illness to help others overcome fear. He even made some notes in preparation of writing a book. But, before he had a chance to speak out, to write, he became too weak.
"Ultimately, people who are infected with this disease have this wish that there was a cure yesterday," said Mr. Orser, the silver medalist. "We all know there is a lack of funds. And Rob asked for his friends wholesale jerseys to help."
McCall’s wholesale nfl jerseys final days
Skaters would come to Toronto and visit. Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Boitano and Ms. Witt and Mr. Orser. But, with AIDS, there is no reprieve from judges, no opportunity to choreograph a final, fitting exit.
In and out of consciousness, Mr. McCall spent the last weeks of his life at his apartment in Toronto.
The ravages of AIDS were apparent to all who saw Mr. McCall. His weight had dropped from 175 pounds to 85. Steroids, needed to reduce the swelling of his brain caused by cancer, had rendered him temporarily diabetic.
There were the treatments for pneumonia, the chemotherapy for cancer. There was even a time when he was unable to slip his skating boots over his feet because of tumors.
Finally, in the early morning of Nov. 15, a few minutes after his mother went out for a walk, Mr. McCall died, embraced by his younger brother Steven.
Without hesitation, the family revealed that Mr. McCall had died of AIDS related brain cancer, although they never disclosed how he contracted the disease.
The story was merely a footnote in the United States, the country still coming to terms with Magic Johnson’s announcement earlier in the week that he was HIV positive.
In Canada, the grieving was confined to Mr. McCall’s friends in skating. There was a who’s who list of skating stars at his funeral in Toronto. The Scott Joplin music opened the service. Soon, the crowd was laughing, and then crying, remembering Mr. McCall’s life, mourning his death.
"So many people were touched by Rob," said Evelyn McCall, his mother. "The big dream for Rob was that they would find a cure for him. But, you know, there are a lot of other people out there who have AIDS, and they have that same dream. I always remember a card that Rob once sent me. It said, ’Cry when you feel like crying. Be sad when you feel like being sad. But, after every storm, there has to be a rainbow.’ "
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