July Feature: Let the Gay Games Begin

Cologne Welcomes Athletes For the 8th Gay Games Competition

There’s something about international sporting competitions that brings people together. Every four years, regardless of political affiliations, religious beliefs or family values, citizens of the same country put aside their differences and cheer on their countrymen, turning patriotic and sappy whenever the Olympic theme music is played. Well, many Americans may still be denied equal rights in this country (and most countries!), but there is no denying the passion and effort on display in the Olympics’ gay little sister: the Gay Games.

The Gay Games, opening in Cologne, Germany, on July 31 and closing on August 7, are unlike the Olympics in that you don’t have to be a highly skilled athlete to compete. Whereas the Olympics are truly the best of the best, the Gay Games welcomes anyone with a love for his or her sport and a zeal for competition. Regardless of skill level, age or physical challenge, all people with a desire can go for gold at the Gay Games.

The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco, bringing together 1,350 athletes from a dozen countries. The Games have been held every four years since in world-class cities. Gay Games VII in Chicago in 2006 attracted 11,500 participants from 70 countries.

The Games are the legacy of Dr. Tom Waddell, a decathlon competitor for the U.S. in the 1968 Olympics. Waddell conceived of the Games as an opportunity for gays and lesbians to show the world that their skills and competitive spirit were equal to the rest of humanity. He wanted to promote better understanding through sport. The Games define winning as achieving one's personal best.

Compete is proud to profile nine such individuals, each of whom will be striving to achieve his/her personal best. Get to know them, through their own words, and know that there are thousands of other gay and lesbian athletes with their own unique stories at these Games.

Athlete: Hector Torres
Sport: Triathlon
Age: 32
City: Orlando
Previous Gay Games: Chicago 2006
Hobbies: Movies, Cooking, Reading and – of course – Swimming, Biking and Running
Favorite Athlete: Craig Alexander

“After crossing the finish line in the 2006 Chicago Gay Games, I knew I could have done better. I was tired from all of the traveling and from all the Gay Games parties. In addition, Chicago had a heat wave on race day, which crumbled many athletes. It wasn’t my best performance, but I am not making any excuses. I didn’t train properly and my nutrition wasn’t right. As soon as I got home, I registered for another race to prove to myself that I can do better. However, that didn’t quench my thirst.
After the Gay Games, I left with a new mission in life. Practicing this sport is a lifestyle, not a one-time deal. The sport of Triathlon changed my life. I decided to become a coach and teach others. I founded the Central Florida Triathlon Club in Orlando, Florida. It is the largest club in Central Florida and the most structured club in the nation. I coach everyone who is part of the club for free! You just have to show up to practice. The services the club provides is like no other. I have a total of 500 athletes.
After finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, I pursued my Masters in Sports and Fitness with a concentration in Sports Leadership and Coaching. I continued to pursue my education in the sport of Triathlon. I am currently part of the Elite Coaching Program – we are looking for athletes who have potential to become professionals and we want to take them to the Olympics. I coach all levels of athletes from beginners to advanced.
My training has changed dramatically and improved in all levels. I feel so strong and ready for the Games this time around. I am registered for the Olympic Triathlon, Cycling Criterium, Cycling Time Trial, 5k & 10k road race and Half-Marathon. I am planning to be in Cologne for two weeks and I am ready to enjoy it!”

Athlete: Reggie Snowden
Sport: Track ↦ Field
Age: 45
City: San Francisco
Previous Gay Games: New York 1994, Amsterdam 1998, Sydney 2002
Hobbies: Volleyball, Tennis, Bowling, Cycling
Favorite Athletes: Martina Navratilova, Renaldo Nehemiah, Mary Slaney

“When I moved to San Francisco in 1992, I eventually met with the SF Track and Field Club, whose members were training to compete in the Gay Games in New York, 1994. The late Frank Demby and great Rick Thoman inspired our team to travel to New York and represent San Francisco! I ended up winning gold in the 110m Hurdles, 400m hurdles, Triple Jump, 4x100m Relay and silver in the Long Jump. It was my first Gay Games experience and I loved every minute of it. However, I had the best times off track. I met so many other gay athletes from around the world who shared the same wellness. My favorite times were spent in the hotel lobby chatting with other athletes from Sweden, Czech Republic and Switzerland about World Cup and their experiences in New York. A foundation was set for the next couple of Gay Games. While we didn't have Facebook, MySpace or Twitter in the mid 90s, it was great to see each other every four years.
While I love competing at the Gay Games, I also have competed at the US Masters Championships between 1995 and 2005. I have won the 55m hurdles at the US Indoor National Championships and managed to win a couple gold medals in the Pentathlon – which consists of Hurdles, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump and 1,000m. At the US Outdoor Championships I have managed to take a few bronze medals for the Hurdles, Long Jump and Triple Jump.
This year, I look forward to returning to compete again at the Gay Games in Cologne. While I still plan on doing the best I can do on the track (that will hopefully result with a few gold medals), I look forward to seeing the athletes I have missed for the past eight years. My goal will be to re-establish the friendships I made at the prior games and to make new friends!”

Athlete: Sarah Kline
Sport: Volleyball
Age: 30
City: Saint Louis
Hobbies: Gardening, Cooking, Cycling, Knitting
Favorite Athlete: Curtis Granderson

“A few years after moving to Saint Louis from Michigan I decided that it was time to get back into playing volleyball. I was subbing on a co-ed team when I played with one of my now teammates, Freda. She invited me to come out and play with a group of her friends. We went out for drinks after practice and people were talking about Team Saint Louis, our parent organization, and ‘The Gay Olympics.’ I had to ask what the heck they were talking about, which led to the discovery of the Gay Games. I was immediately interested and asked if I could be on the team, and my team immediately accepted.
When I went home that night I had to figure out how to explain to my husband the commitment I had just made. Thankfully, he found the idea of the Gay Games to be just as exciting as I had, and now I have met and become friends with some of the greatest people. We are a one-car household, so just taking the car to drive to practice or other team events affects him as well. He has always had a positive attitude about being ‘stuck’ at home while I have the car. Moreover, he has supported me and our team by volunteering his time to help us raise money at our numerous fundraisers. He is sacrificing a lot of his own free time to help us reach our goals. The money we have been putting into savings for this trip could easily have been used for other ‘fun’ things, but Zach has never once complained about putting away this money for what was, essentially, a unilateral decision made by me.
A lot of people look at me funny when I say that I am participating in the Gay Games. ‘But how are you allowed to participate if you're not gay?’ is the question I frequently get. I tell them that it's not just about being gay, but about the universal language of sport to promote health, friendship and tolerance among all cultures and lifestyles, which is something that nobody needs, nor should they wait for, permission to do.”

Athlete: Stacy Louis
Sport: Billiards
Age: 59
City: Phoenix
Previous Gay Games: Sydney 2002, Chicago 2006
Hobbies: Pool, Racquetball, Gardening, Entertaining, Fiestaware Collector
Favorite Athlete: Steve Nash

“I think the Gay Games is mostly about meeting new friends and people from all walks of life and many nations of the world. Sure, I think there could be more press about pool/billiards, but also understand that there are many more ‘popular’ sports than my event. I am just happy that pool/billiards is a regular event at the Gay Games.
Although I am very competitive while playing pool, my main objective is to proudly represent Phoenix and the USA as a gay athlete while in Germany. It would be great to win another medal, but just being part of such a great gay event such as this is enough for me.”

Athlete: Gerardo Betancourt
Sport: Water Polo
Age: 37
City: Toronto
Hobbies: Movies, Reading

“(Moving to Canada) gave me the opportunity to have freedom and have a great gay life. I had the chance to study Queer Studies at the university, practice sports on a gay team, and I have a job where I can have a positive impact in the LGTBQ Latino community in Toronto. I am an AIDS educator; it is a very creative and passionate job where I can use my background as an educator to promote health services, knowledge and education within my own community. One of the projects I had the chance to work on was Guys Like You, which has become an international success.
I am so grateful to have the chance to participate in the Gay Games and discover that I can be very competitive, feel comfortable with my body and have great friends on my team. My teammates are my family in Canada.”

Athlete: Ali Blank
Sport: Ice Skating
Age: 30
City: New York City
Hobbies: Making custom-designed, hand-screened apparel (ablankexpression)
Favorite Athlete: Kurt Browning

“(Traveling with ‘Disney on Ice) was a great way to see the world; I went to 13 countries in Europe, climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan, traveled to Mexico and all over the states, and got to be the first ‘girl’ Buzz Lightyear ever in Disney history. It was a vessel to pay myself back for all the years I paid for (skating) … well, my parents.”

Athlete: Ben Keller
Sport: Soccer
Age: 27
City: Washington, D.C.
Hobbies: Photography, Cars, Film
Favorite Athlete: Fernando Torres

“I’ve always had a general interest in soccer, but I only fell head-over-heels for it a little over a year ago. It was when Messi and Barcelona were working their way towards winning six major trophies in a single calendar year, the only club in history to do it, when I really got involved.
I served for two years in the U.S. Army from 2002-2004 and was honorably discharged under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. There are so many great servicemembers who have been needlessly discharged – over 13,000 since 1994 – especially when we are fighting two simultaneous wars.”

Athlete: Andrew Gonzalez
Sports: Track & Field, Softball
Age: 44
City: Los Angeles
Previous Gay Games: Amsterdam 1998, Sydney 2002, Chicago 2006

“These competitions are for my father, who passed away in 2007. In early 2000, he suffered a major stroke and his health suffered for his remaining years. Leading up to the 2006 Games, I raised funds to fly my parents out so my father could see me (for the first time) race on the track.”

Athlete: Michael Thirry
Sport: Swimming
Age: 34
City: Chicago
Hobbies: Golfing, Biking, Reading, Cooking
Favorite Athlete: Dara Torres

“I’ve become a much more outgoing person (as a result of swimming) and I have so much more confidence in myself. Getting back into swimming is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I was away from it for 15 years. Also, I lost my partner of 10 years in 2005 and swimming has really helped me forge a new life for myself. I found something to be excited about again. I’m really looking forward to competing in my first Gay Games. It’s a way for me to compete as well as represent the gay community in a positive way.”


History of the Gay Games

Written by :

Buddy

 

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