Swerve Magazine

Francis Broome, 35, was born in Barbados and later moved to Brooklyn, NY. Track is his gift, but basketball is his passion. Fifteen years ago, Broome joined the Rockdogs when he moved to San Francisco. They haven’t lost a game in four years.

“I had tested nine months ago,” Broome said, “And was so sure about the results that when they came back positive, it floored me. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach and took the wind from me. I walked home numb.”

He was 24.

Living in San Francisco, the epicenter of the epidemic, helped him to understand and cope with his diagnosis and a discouraging prognosis.

“I was surrounded by an incredible group of people who made sure that my life would go on even when I didn’t think that it was possible,” Broome said.

Growing up, sports had always provided Broome with a source of confidence. Once again, the game was there for him.

“I was at one of the gay bars in Castro when I noticed a group of guys dribbling a basketball,” Broome said. “I felt that a new world was uncovered. These guys formed a team called the Rockdogs and over the past 15 years, they have become brothers and friends to me.”