Esteemed Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner passed away on Friday evening at the young age of 52.
He made headlines in 2007 for coming out as a transsexual and began to write under the name Christine Daniels for a brief period, yet the transition was difficult for him.
“Mike was a first-rate journalist, a valued member of our staff for 25 years, and we will miss him,” said Times Editor Russ Stanton. “He respected our readers a great deal, enough to share with them his very personal journey. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
While returning to write under his original name, Penner covered a multitude of events over his career including the Olympics, the Angels, World Cup soccer, tennis, sports media and a variety of others.
“Mike was one of the most talented writers I’ve ever worked with, capable of reporting on any number of topics with great wit and style,” said sports editor Mike James. “This is a tragic ending and a difficult time for all of us who knew him.”
Not only did Mike begin a blog detailing his transition, but wrote an essay on his personal experience.
“It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-searching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words,” Penner wrote. “I gave it as good a fight as I possibly could. I went more than 40 hard rounds with it. Eventually, though, you realize you are only fighting yourself and your happiness and your mental health — a no-win situation any way you look at it.”
Penner’s cause of death has not been determined, but it is believed to be a suicide.
Tragic.