Photo: General Mills
All of the great athletes, at one time or another, get to take their spot on the cover of a Wheaties box. All but four-time Olympic gold medalist diver, Greg Louganis. Until now.
Louganis never got his “Breakfast of Champions” stamp because, “Their [Wheaties] response was that I didn’t fit their wholesome demographics or whatever. Basically, being gay, or being rumored that I was gay,” he said in a new HBO documentary called Back on Board: Greg Louganis.
In 1995, he came out as gay and HIV-positive to Oprah.
With the help of Changepetition.org, who called for Louganis to grace the orange box, General Mills is making him part of the Wheaties Legends series, which includes swimmer Janet Evans and hurdler Edwin Moses.
Officially been welcomed into the Orange Box Club! @wheaties #WheatiesLEGENDS #BreakfastOfChampions pic.twitter.com/xFUG6igpM9
— Gregory Louganis (@greglouganis) April 5, 2016
Louganis went on NPR Tuesday, and said, “Back in 1995, I wasn’t expected to live for very long because we thought of HIV/AIDS as a death sentence. To be here today, at 56, the box means so much more to me than it would have then because I feel like I’m being embraced as a whole person; not just for my athletic achievements.”
Here’s his full interview:
Louganis is a champion you can’t put in a box, but he’s one well worth putting on a box.
