Ryan Cox on the road to Cologne

Extracts from the YourHub article you can read in full HERE.

Ryan Wilcox is a 50-year-old Denverite, who was born in Greeley and raised on a dairy farm in Cañon City. In 1979, he contracted HIV/AIDS before there even was the diagnosis of AIDS. Doctors initially diagnosed him with Cyclo Mega Virus (which was essentially an umbrella term to describe many viruses the doctors could not at the time identify).
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Ryan has been living with AIDS for almost 31 years, being one of the first to experience the struggles and stigmas that come with the disease. After losing his partner of many in years in 1989 due to AIDS, Ryan started a slow decline into depression and failing health.

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By 2006, Ryan was walking with a cane and his weight had fallen to 97 pounds. It was in 2006 that Ryan had first heard of the Gay Games, when he was invited by friends to participate and "flag" for the opening ceremonies in Chicago. Due to his health, he was not able to attend but became intrigued by the idea of a "Gay Games," an organization he had never heard of.

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After learning about the Gay Games, Ryan was inspired to change his life. He wanted to participate in the 2010 Gay Games that were to be held in Cologne, Germany. He started eating more and turned away from alcohol and the bar scene. He then returned to his childhood passion and sport of figure skating, which his grandmother had him involved in as a child in Colorado Springs. Ryan enrolled in a "Learn To Skate" program at Big Bear Ice Arena in Denver and also began taking private lessons. Slowly his strength and articulation came back to him.

"At the time, I didn't know how I would get there (Germany) but that was my dream, just to be in Cologne and to be a part of it. Skating has brought me to life again, healing myself from my own self-loathing and depression," he said.

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Ryan's dream is far from over as he is now in the process of trying to raise money to send himself and his skating coach to Germany in August. Being on disability for so many years has prevented Ryan from being able to work a normal job because he would lose his health care benefits.

In an attempt to raise funds for Ryan, Bella Diva Dance and The Mercury Café will be hosting "The Road to Cologne," offering an evening of international dance and music for guests to enjoy and to celebrate how far the gay community has come since the 1980's in terms of AIDS awareness and societal inclusion. Ryan would also like to personally thank Dr. Ben Young, "Global Travel Health Medicine", and the new Aids clinic "Rocky Mountain Cares".