Dear friends!

Since September 2005 that I was diagnosed HIV positive, your site is of great help and courage for me. Very often I consult it or suggest it to friends that are either newly diagnosed or want to learn more about the virus.

My name is Yannis and I live in Greece. My health is in general good condition (my CD4s are 455 and my viral load is 1100) and Im not yet in medical treatment. I used to have regural tests, so I can assume that the diagnosis came within a period of nine months more or less after I had been infected.

The reason Im writing is to kindly ask you if you can find me contacts of Jim Howley, an HIV positive triathlete and founder of the organization, Athletics Instead of Depression and Sickness (A.I.D.S.).

Im also a competitive triathlete and took part in many triathlon races and marathon runnings and I found his name randomly in the internet. But I cant find anything more about his organization or how to contact him.

Ive just started preparation to run an Ironman triathlon race next summer and I need somebody in the same condition as me, to ask for training and health advises, concidering always HIV. My coach and my doctors advises me that I should take care anyway, have the necessary rest between training sessions and try not to exhaust myself. But I think I need somebody like me, more for inspiration and motivation.

Thank you very much in advance. Keep up the great job!

Yannis Tsalapatis

Jim is now working for Abbott Labs, maker of Kaletra

I will forward the email to him

Good luck with the triathlon!

Nelson