AEGiS-BKREV: Gay Olympian: The Life and Death of Dr. Tom Waddell

Gay Olympian: The Life and Death of Dr. Tom Waddell

Alfred A. Knopf, 201 E. 15th St., New York, NY 10022. 240p. ISBN 0-394-57223-8. $23.00.
Tom Waddell, Dick Schaap. 1996.

This is the story of a great athlete, first-rate doctor, member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Games, a leader in the gay and lesbian community, and a father. Tom Waddell was an individual who had difficulty coming out but never faltered in his career. He was the physician to the Saudi Arabian royal court for several years before practicing medicine in San Francisco. He organized the Gay Games in 1982 after the Olympic Festival stripped the word Olympics from Gay Olympics. He battled AIDS for five years and died in 1987. This is a story of a remarkable individual who could be a role model for all gay athletes. Greg Louganis states: "I am grateful to Tom for creating the Gay Games, because it was through the Games that I was emboldened to come out, through the Games that I met the people who encouraged me to tell the story of my life."

Tom's life is told by a well-known television reporter, Dick Schaap. He used Tom's journal that he wrote for his young daughter. He had wanted to write the book himself, but AIDS decided otherwise. This is a warm, sometimes funny, yet inspiring story that you will not be able to lay aside until you have reached the last page. A recommended book for all libraries, an inspiration for all gays and lesbians.

Keywords: Gay Athletes, Biography, Gay Games

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