Gay Olympic silver medalist Mark Leduc has died at the age of 47. He won his Olympic medal for Canada in boxing in 1992. He was apparently found dead in a sauna, and the assumption is that he died of heat stroke: A strange way to go for someone who made his career knowing the ins and outs of a gym. But little about Leduc was conventional. He found his way to boxing while serving time in a penitentiary for armed robbery. He spent time later in life speaking on gay issues and to gay youth in particular.
Hat tips to Doug W and Enigma.
on Jul 27th, 2009 at 11:12 am
It’s sad, to be honest w/ you. I can see staying in the sauna a bit too long to sweat out all of the water you retained.
Gathering from what I’ve read, he was a great guy w/ his own demons. Hell, who doesn’t have their own personal demons these days?
on Jul 27th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I met Mr. LeDuc at a street event in Toronto a while back. He was just soo…normal, you know? If he was Buddhist he would be ‘centred’… He was so apprachable and friendly. In fact, HE came up to me started chatting like we had been friends forever, and thats even what it should have been.
I wasnt expecting to have one of my olympic crushes grinning and joking with me (maybe flirtling??? a boy can dream
), so i was a little overwhelmed and didnt stay for very long (it was a zOMFG!!11! moment 
).
Now, instead of regretting that I didnt stay, I am glad that I am one of those people who met him that can attest to this amazing, brave and down to earth person.
If you never met him I can understand you thinking that we are ‘just trying to be polite’, but you’re wrong.
Marc _was_ my posterboy for a poor Jane/Finch gay kid wanting to do something with his life and then having the confidence to do it. He was really one of those guys that you are honoured to meet in person.
Im glad to have shared what I know about him with you.