PRESENTS
Greg Louganis is simply the greatest diver in history. You would be hard pressed to find a person who watched either the 1984 or 1988 Olympics who was not enthralled by the poetry that was Greg Louganis: the beauty and power of his diving captured the world.
2016 marked the 40th Anniversary of Greg's first Olympic win - a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, in platform diving, at the tender age of 16. Eight years later he became the first male diver to get double gold in springboard and platform in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and again in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He has earned a total of 5 Olympic medals, 5 World Championship titles and 47 national titles — more than any person in U.S. history. His records remain unbroken.
In 1988 Greg Louganis also tested positive for HIV. Coming out as a gay athlete in a time when it simply was not done, his 1995 autobiography, Breaking the Surface, spent five weeks at Number One on the New York Times bestseller list and his PGA and Emmy nominated Documentary Back on Board is receiving rave reviews nationwide and can now be seen on HBO.
In 2016 General Mills announced that Greg would receive a Wheaties Box for his achievements, and that development was so significant it warranted a New York Times exclusive. He had the honor of being included in ESPN's 2016 annual Body Issue, and in 2017 was the first openly gay Grand Marshal of The Rose Parade. In 2019, he again serves as Sports Director for Red Bull Cliff Diving, a division of Red Bull, one of the world's best known brands, and Greg is working with Red Bull toward eventual inclusion of high diving in the Olympics.
The story of Greg’s life, is a story that has inspired millions, and he regularly is a keynote speaker to the most significant organizations and companies in the world to share that story. Recent speeches range from companies such as Coca Cola, Exelon, Nomura and HSBC Banks, Visa, Gift of Adoption, and many more.
In May of 2019, he had the honor of participating as a co-host and was recognized for his achievements at the Paley Center's LGBTQ+ Achievement in Television Honors, for the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, held in New York City.
The Covid pandemic has of course put a hold on so many areas of people’s lives, Greg‘s included, he will continue with Red Bull Cliff Diving when they resume in 2021, and will also have a vibrant role in the Olympics in Tokyo, also pushed to 2021. In the meantime, Greg continues to communicate with and inspire people online, with virtual keynote speeches, and with his Meditation in Motion platform, which supports and coaches students on their journey to better health and happiness.
