(Seattle, Washington) Brian Wright, considered one of the foremost choreographers in the American figure skating world, has died of AIDS. He was 42.

Wright won the U.S. Figure Skating Association’s choreographer of the year in 1994. He helped choreograph winning routines for American figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan.

He had lived with HIV for 17 years. Friend and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger remembered him as a fighter. “I’d say, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t come to work today,’ and he’d say, ‘I’ll work until I drop dead.”’

Wright was public with his HIV status from the beginning and is credited with opening the door for gay and lesbian figure skaters to discuss their sexuality. He also encouraged other skates with HIV to go public. When he was not working out routines for his skaters he toured schools to give safe sex talks.

“It was very important to him that people not be complacent about the disease,” said his sister, with whom he had lived since 1995. “And he was willing to be very blunt and open his life up and talk about it.”

Wright began skating at 13 after watching the 1968 Winter Olympics on television.

As a novice, he placed second at the national championships and many people believed he would go on to the Olympics one day, but Wright was more interested in designing moves on the ice than the fiercely competitive world of competition.

Wright’s last out-of-town trip was to Los Angeles in March to work with Kwan, a five-time world champion.