Mark Leduc
Encyclopedia
Mark Leduc was a boxer
from Canada
, who won a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics
.
.
as gay
in the TV documentary For the Love of the Game, one of the few boxers ever to do so. He also spoke about being a gay athlete in CBC Radio's documentary "The Last Closet" and spent time talking to gay youth. He attended Toronto
’s Pride Parade
in 1999 as grand marshal (with Savoy Howe). Leduc worked for and volunteered with the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation, later becoming a set-builder and construction worker in the film industry.
Leduc died on July 22, 2009 in Toronto
. He had collapsed in the sauna
of a local hotel, and doctors suggested that his death may have resulted from heat stroke
.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, who won a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.
Olympic results
- Defeated Godfrey Wakaabu (Uganda) 9-2
- Defeated Dillon Carew (Guyana) 5-0
- Defeated Laid Bouneb (Algeria) 8-1
- Defeated Leonard Dorin (Romania) 13-6
- Lost to Héctor VinentHéctor VinentHéctor Vinent Cháron was a Cuban boxer, who won the Light Welterweight Gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics.-External links:**...
(Cuba) 1-11
Professional boxing career
Leduc turned pro in 1992 and had limited success. He retired in 1993 with a record of 4-1-0 after losing to Michel GalarneauMichel Galarneau
Michel Galarneau is a Canadian former ice hockey centre.Galarneau played junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Hull Olympiques where in his second season in 1979-80, he scored 39 goals and 64 assists for 103 points...
.
After retirement and coming out
In 1994, after retiring, Leduc came outComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
in the TV documentary For the Love of the Game, one of the few boxers ever to do so. He also spoke about being a gay athlete in CBC Radio's documentary "The Last Closet" and spent time talking to gay youth. He attended Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
’s Pride Parade
Pride Week (Toronto)
Pride Week is a ten-day event held in Toronto, Canada, during the end of June each year. It is a celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in the Greater Toronto Area. It is one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, featuring several stages with live performers and...
in 1999 as grand marshal (with Savoy Howe). Leduc worked for and volunteered with the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation, later becoming a set-builder and construction worker in the film industry.
Leduc died on July 22, 2009 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He had collapsed in the sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
of a local hotel, and doctors suggested that his death may have resulted from heat stroke
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
.