Diversity Rules Magazine

8 Diversity Rules Magazine March 2020 Tony Guadagnino is a marke ng consul- tant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied crea ve wri ng in college and is cur- rently working his first novel on the subject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark. In the past ten years, Adam Rippon has become a household name within a very short period of me. He is currently 30 years old, yet he has accomplished so much. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Adam started life with struggles, having been born with severe hear- ing loss, possibly classified as deaf. However, suc- cessful surgeries throughout his first year of life re- stored hearing to near perfect levels. Adam Rippon started his ska ng career rela vely late in life – at the age of ten. It wasn't a planned dream, but ska ng came to him naturally when his mother began taking him to the ska ng rink. At the young age of 15, just 5 years a er star ng to skate, he won a silver medal in the Novel Level at the 2005 U.S. Championships. The following year, he entered the Junior Grand Prix circuit, comple ng in Croa a and finishing in 6th place. Two years later, he won the gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix, and became the first man to break 200 points at the Junior level. Adam was on his way to an exci ng ska ng career. Beginning in 2009, having turned 18 and now quali- fied for senior level compe ons, Adam con nued to enter compe ons across the globe, winning medals and developing a following in the ice ska ng world. It wasn't un l 2018 when Adam was select- ed as one of the three men to represent the U.S.A. in the Winter Olympics in Pyecongchang, South Ko- rea. He won the bronze medal in the figure ska ng team event. Following the winter Olympics, Adam Rippon re red from compe ve figure ska ng. Adam publicly came out in October 2015, three years before entering the Olympics and becoming the first openly gay American man to qualify for the Olympics. Today, Adam gives courageous words of EmPoWEring insPiration adam riPPon

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