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As the 2024 Paris Olympics begin, it might be of interest that figure skating was first contested as an Olympic sport in 1908, during the Summer Olympics. In fact, figure skating and ice hockey are the only two sports to be contested during both the summer and winter games during the history of the modern Olympics.

Of course, figure skating had become a staple of the Winter Olympics by 1964, when brother and sister Ronald (Ron) and Vivian Joseph competed in the pair’s competition at the Innsbruck games. The siblings would eventually be awarded the bronze medal for their performance at the games, and were inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Induction into the Hall of Fame was a long time coming for Ron and Vivian, but for Ron, the long-deferred honor was bittersweet. Ron was diagnosed with ALS in 2022, and he was unable to attend the induction ceremony in-person.

“At the end of 2021 we were mountain climbing in Colorado, and I knew something was off. Then I was playing tennis, and the power on my backhand started to stink, even though I thought I was hitting the ball pretty well,” he said. After his skating career Ron had a long career as a hand and shoulder surgeon, so he had a strong suspicion of what his symptoms were even before receiving the formal diagnosis.

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Ron and Vivian’s Hall of Fame resume includes more than just their Olympic accomplishment. They competed in three World Championships, earning the 1965 World silver medal. In 1965 they also became the first U.S. pairs team in 14 years to win the North American Championships, and the pair also won the 1965 U.S. Championships.

But it is the long and winding tale of their Olympic bronze medal that in some ways matches their long journey into the Hall of Fame. Despite a strong performance (“I wouldn’t change a thing we did on the ice,” Ron said) the Josephs initially placed fourth at the Innsbruck Games, but were elevated to the bronze medal in 1966 after the West German team was disqualified for signing a professional contract prior to the Games. The Germans were re-awarded the silvers in 1987 after appealing that other pairs had signed similar contracts but had not been exposed and disqualified. It wasn’t until 2014 that the International Olympic Committee announced unequivocally that the Joesphs were in fact the bronze medalists.

With the announcement that he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ron saw an opportunity to share the news of his diagnosis and to help raise awareness about ALS, particularly among athletes.

“In life you do things, and sometimes if you do the right thing it can help a lot of people,” Ron said. “I think by raising awareness about ALS, which is a pretty rare disease, but does affect a lot of active people, I can help. So, I wanted to let people know what (people with ALS) are going through. When you are sitting below people, it is hard to get a hug. You miss that emotional support. You can miss activities of daily living that can seem so simple.”

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Ron has also decided to take part in ALS clinical trials, even though he understands that he personally may not see benefits from them. “I get up, pray every morning, thank God that I’m here, take a deep breath and try and go forward,” Ron said. “And if that trial turns out to be effective for other people, then I’m glad that I contributed.”

Thank you Ron for sharing your story with the ALS community!

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