HIV-Positive Australian Olympian Ji Wallace Joins Team to End AIDS by Brenden Shucart (for Positive Frontiers)

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Since coming out last year as HIV-positive, silver medal-winning Olympian Ji Wallace has been a tireless advocate for HIV education and prevention. Recently Ji agreed to lend his voice and boundless energy to support APLA’s “Team to End AIDS,” which will be running the Los Angeles Marathon Sunday, March 17.

Ji Wallace for HIVPlus Magazine – FULL LEGTH VIDEO from BACKSTAGE FIX on Vimeo.

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POSITIVE FRONTIERS:

Can you tell me about the events that led to you coming out about your HIV status?

When I first found out about my HIV-status, I wanted to scream at the world, “know your status,” because then people can make educated and informed decisions about circumstances they might find themselves in. I was overseas and wanted to tell my parents but didn’t want to do it by phone. So I had to wait until i made it back to Australia. Then I thought for a number of months about how I could best use my little voice to stop other people from being infected with HIV. It didn’t come to me until I saw an interview with Piers Morgan and Greg Louganis. I loved that interview, because Piers spoke to Greg as Greg—“What have you been up to? How does it feel back to be back at the Olympics? What’s new on the horizon for you? And how’s the HIV?” Piers made it it just a part of Greg. And that’s what HIV is, just a small part of everybody.

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I actually wrote to Piers and I said, “Thank you for the interview. You treated Greg as Greg, and you were interested in his story. And you made mention of his HIV but didn’t make it explosive.” And I included a gay Australian newspaper that had been very supportive of my exploits over the years. It all happened very organically. I really didn’t understand or have understanding of the potential impact that something I construed to be a small matter would have.

Your boyfriend Shaun is HIV-negative. Do you feel that being in a relationship with someone who is HIV-negative offers any special challenges?

No. Obviously, considerations need to be made, but outside of those specific considerations, it’s a full-on loving relationship. And obviously it’s special to us, but there are many special relationships out there. The uniqueness of our relationship is Shaun’s ability to say, “We can deal with that. I’m interested in you.” HIV doesn’t define who we are. And it shouldn’t. People outside and people inside the HIV-positive community need to understand that HIV doesn’t define you. Your personality, your ability to love, your ability to care, your ability to strive for more, those are the things that are important. HIV is such a small part of the chocolate cake that is your life.

Do you have any words of wisdom for someone who finds themselves newly HIV-positive?

If you do find yourself with a new diagnosis, educate yourself. Because when you know the facts, it’s not that scary and you can make really good, educated decisions about your future. Just because you returned a positive test does not mean your future does not have life and does not have excitement and does not have love in it. It just means you have one more thing to consider.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE!

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26 COMMENTS

  1. Very wise guy, we all make mistakes in our lives and shouldn’t be so judgmental, as he says it’s who you are inside that counts.

  2. A very wise man indeed. A man who sees beyond the labels and understands that we are talking about people; people who are more than a name. It is not the diagnosis it is how we learn to interact with the person and the responsible choices we make as we encounter one another. It is our responsibility to live honestly for ourselves and beside those around us and especially those we invite into our lives. Aside from the courage this man has shown in sharing his private world with us; his smile is absolutely infectious.

  3. To GAM1069 almost correct though not bad luck. Becoming POZ is a choice where guys spread their legs and fuck without condoms are cum inside each other. That is when all the bullshit emerges with excuses like “the condom broke”, “I was drunk”, “I must have had a cut in my mouth”, again all BULLSHIT

  4. I fail to see how his HIV status, his poor appearance (ugly face & tats)and his lack of an explanation for becoming positive in this day and age qualify him for such a showcase.

    BTW who does he blame for his misfortune? Which government department or conservative prime minister is responsible for infecting him with something he should have been well aware of?

  5. *sigh* The acronym HIV never fails to freak the hell out of petty people. I agree it’s all about choices, but the fact that some of us may be scared shitless of this condition, obviously, some others don’t give a fuck. The truth is, we all judge from our own perspective, but that doesn’t make it right or wrong. The important thing is having the courage to say it and share it with our sex partners so we can make our own choices. As for Ji… I don’t care whether he is poz or not. HE IS HOT!! Mind you, there is no hope in hell I would be taking him to bed any time soon.. 🙁

  6. Yeah I agree Lurker86 with your comments, I have plenty of tatts myself but cool and coordinated, his JI are an ambiguous mess

  7. lurker you are such an ass, he is not blaming anyone for becoming hiv+. but he is taking responsibility for his own condition and willing to help other people become educated about what it is and how to better avoid getting it. like i have said before if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all, because the rest of us all know you are an ass and your opinon counts for nothing. another wise saying you should heed is bettter to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

  8. Jim Williams is to be commended for using his celebrity for HIV prevention. It’s a message that has to be constantly repeated, but what more can he add that isn’t already known? In a previous interview, he narrowed his infection down to a “heat of the moment” encounter with a unknown guy and no condoms. All that knowledge that he was aware of came to nothing due to self indulgence and forever altered his life. Since the oral route is ‘safe’, that leaves barebacking with an unknown status. There’s only a few things in life where there has to be no exceptions…this is one. How many of us, no matter how alert, drunk, stoned or whatever would put an unknown gun in our mouths and pull the trigger..none. This same attitude has to be our first thought regardless of our circumstances when were with other guys. Once he realized this regrettable risk had happened, why didn’t he go and get PEP? PEP taken within the first 24 hours is 99% effective in preventing infection with a known POZ source and is available in any emergency room in the Western world. If you insist on going bareback outside a secure relationship, at least use PrEP. With all the knowledge and pre and post exposure drugs available, new cases of HIV should be rare.
    Compassion should always be our first response, but given all we know and can do to prevent new infections, at what point do we stop giving new cases a free pass when, with rare exceptions, it’s just reckless stupidity and self indulgence? Polio was essentially wiped out by everyone following the prevention guidelines and getting immunizations. It only exists in obscure corners where stupidity and superstition reigns. Likewise, we know how to prevent HIV and by all following the guidelines it too could become equally obscure.
    I wish Ji Williams a long and healthy life. Let’s hope his good words don’t fall on a new set of deaf ears and repeat his tragic mistake.

  9. A very Handsome and Wise man. I wish nothing but the best for you and your partner Shaun. Take care mate

  10. Lurker you are such an idiot. Here is a man that had the courage to tell the world about his status and you do nothing but slam him. Do you ever, ever have anything nice to say about anyone? Take a long hard look in the mirror and you’ll see that you do nothing but make yourself look foolish. Grow up!!!

  11. yes lurker, and I’m sure you 100% safe every single goddamn time. Anyone who says they are is full of shit. we’ve all fucked up one or twice or more.

    BTW loved your profile about disliking guys with closed minds. enjoy your perfect existence living inside your firmly boxed in puerile brain.

  12. So this piece of street trash has decided to use his horrible judgment to “teach” people about HIV. Fucker, if I need to know about an acquired life threatening disease, I will not take advice from a shit head who who ignored the accumulated evidence of decades and became infected.

    Quite frankly, if I needed HIV education, I would rather receive it from one of these Miss America air heads who announce after each pageant that they are going to do AIDS education. They would be better than a layabout who will focus on this for a few minutes before he returns to his dissolute life of booze and going through the local prison’s revolving door.

    When it comes to HIV/AIDS, I walked through the fire, fuck heads. When AIDS was identified in 1980-1981 I was on the scene with every reason to be frightened. Like a lot of people here (at least the sexually active ones as opposed to the fantasist over-weight white guys who populate this forum)I lost people, my life changed, and not once did I feel the need to make a spectacle of myself like this creep.

  13. lurker, calm down. You need help, a good therapist to help get rid of all the demons in that small brain of yours. You’ll never strive to be a great man that Ji is and always will be.

  14. If only we could aspire to be the self-entitled vision of perfection you obviously are, lurker. /sarcasm off You’re right, HIV+ people should just shut up, and not use their lives as a testament as to what not to do. And considering that the under 25 group is getting infected at rates higher than ever before, we need more men like him, courageously facing the ignorant sods such as yourself to tell their stories and hopefully prevent at least one more infection. It’s people such as you that help spread the disease through their closed minds that lead people to either not get tested, or hide their status. It’s people like you that shut down the conversation and put even more people at risk. Congratulations you closed-minded ignorant sod.

  15. You need to get laid, Giving.
    (what do you give BTW, HIV? An experience with an ugly man?)
    Unfortunately for you, I will not touch an old, disfigured man… which is all you are.
    I understand why you envy me. And I’m ok with it.

  16. I suppose we really should just ignore you know who. But I I do wonder why they continue to allow this bitter ranting sociopath on here

  17. and the award for the most negative comment goes to…do we really need a drum roll here? oh and btw….you are not all that and a bag of chips either buddy so get off your high fraking horse….i;ve been with my partner/husband for nearly 16 years now and he’s pos and i;m not…does that make me a better person then anyone else?.no…p.s….we’ve also both got tats….

  18. Lurker, your words are very offensive! You are 50yo! Not young and beautiful anymore! Stop being such A$$hole!

  19. Again, prime examples when this portion of the site is toxic and serves no purpose. I think we are better off to reply to one another rather than make our ignorance public.

  20. This is the first time I have ever left a comment in one of these online sites but I had to leave a message and say that, Behairy, I fully concur with you 100%. I honestly could not have said it better myself.

    Lurker, I don’t personally know you so I’m not going to rush to judgment. It’s o.k. to disagree with the lifestyle choices of others but your disagreement concerning Ji Wallace, for reasons best known to yourself, seem to have taken a particular fervour, which unfortunately, makes you appear unhinged. I can’t speak for others but this is how you’re coming across to me.

    Giving, Lurker may not be a fan but I had a quick look at your profile and for what it is worth, I think you’re hot.

  21. Lurker, how well the name fits, You are a thoroughly disgusting individual whose pathetic need for attention is as irritating as a bedsore . The only difference is that a bedsore can get better. You, I’m afraid are destined to wallow in your bed of sulphurous vitriol till you finally self combust. You are even more pathetic than you are unattractive if that’s possible. Just go away.

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