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Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis will discuss his life's triumphs and tribulations in an Assembly Series lecture titled "Beyond Breaking the Surface" at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, in Graham Chapel. The lecture, sponsored by the Congress of the South Forty, is free and open to the public, with limited seating.
Louganis began competing in the world of diving at the age of 10. By 16 he had won his first Olympic medal, a 1976 silver on the platform. At 24, he became the first man in 56 years to win two Olympic gold medals in diving by winning both the platform and springboard events. In 1986, Louganis repeated his performance with both the platform and springboard events at the World Championship. Two years later at the 1988 Olympics, competing against divers half his age and despite a near-disastrous injury during a dive, Louganis became the first man to win double gold medals for diving in two consecutive Olympics.
Altogether he has won the World Championship five times and has held a record number of National Championship titles. In 1985, he received the Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete. His most recent contribution to the Olympics has been as a broadcaster, appearing as co-host on "Good Morning America" during the 1996 Summer Olympics -- a first for an openly gay athlete.
His autobiography, "Breaking the Surface," topped The New York Times Bestseller List when it was published in 1996. Louganis later adapted the book for the television film "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story." Both book and film chronicle Louganis' tumultuous life: his difficult childhood, his struggles with homosexuality, his remarkable achievements in diving, and his fear and ultimate courage in dealing with HIV.
Pursuing his lifelong dream of an acting career, Louganis has starred in Broadway and Hollywood productions. He costarred in "Touch Me," a feature-length movie in 1997, and produced the autobiographical "Looking to the Light."
For more information, visit the Assembly Series Web page (http://wupa.wustl.edu/assembly) or call 935-5285.
