Ji Wallace On His Olympic Silver, Cher, And Life 25 Years Later
It has been a quarter of a century since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, an event many still remember for its electric atmosphere and incredible moments. For trampoline gymnast Ji Wallace, it was the stage for a performance that would redefine his future. Now, he’s looking back on his career and helping shape the next generation of Australian athletes.
That silver medal moment changed everything.
At just 23 years old, Wallace competed in his home Games in a discipline making its Olympic debut. With the support of a roaring home crowd, he secured a silver medal. To this day, it remains Australia’s only Olympic medal in gymnastics. In a recent interview with QNews, he reflected on the achievement. “That moment literally changed my life,” he said. “Who knows what my life would be without it?”
Finding an authentic voice after the Games.
By 2005, Wallace had publicly come out as gay. His life after sport became a new kind of performance, this time centred on advocacy and visibility. He became a Gay Games ambassador, spoke openly about living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and even appeared on the cover of Gay Times. His athletic skills also took him to the stage in a Cirque du Soleil show, proving his career was far from over. Speaking on the Five Rings To Rule Them All podcast, he said the best part of being an out athlete was “just knowing that I’m coming from an authentic place.”
He’d rather say ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that’.
Marking the anniversary on Instagram, Wallace noted the changes in his life and appearance over the years, posting a photo from Athens. “25 years and 25kgs later, new opportunities abound with no one to stop me,” he wrote. Now working with Gymnastics Queensland to mentor young athletes ahead of the Brisbane 2032 games, his energy is infectious. He credits pop icon Cher as a major inspiration for his philosophy on life. “She said it best,” he explained to QNews. “‘I’d rather look back at my life and go, ‘Oh, I probably shouldn’t have done that,’ rather than what most people do, and they go, ‘I wish I had’.”
His advice for the next generation.
So what does he tell the young LGBTQIA+ athletes he mentors today? While acknowledging that representation matters, Wallace believes the decision to come out is deeply personal.
“Come out if you feel comfortable,” he says, recalling his own choice. “My decision was, I want to be known as Ji the athlete.” He stresses that every person has a different background and experience. His advice is a reminder that while seeing successful people like yourself is powerful, authenticity should always come first.
In November 2005, Ji Wallace was featured in DNA #70, interviewed by Marc Andrews and photographed by James Demitri. The Print issue is sold out, and it’s not available as a Digital edition. However, the original interview is available with Archives access.
