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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2001)
SPO RTS ' e just take over the city— 25,000 queers who are com petitive— who’s gonna mess with them? A nd bodybuilding lesbians?” That’s how Eric Brown describes his impres sions of the Gay Games 11 years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia. Sounds like a blast. And you can bet your boomerang that will be the story next year when athletes march proudly into the stadium in Sydney, Australia. Brown was a naive 22 and newly out during the Vancouver Games, so it was an epic experience for him. “It was the first time 1 realized gay people could be more than hamburger flippers,” he recalls, adding that he met doctors, political honchos and all kinds of professionals. A longtime competitive swimmer, he even came home sporting five medals. “I walked into [C.C.l Slaughters in my fluorescent pink Gay Games shorts with my medals woven around my waist,” he remembers, laughing at the stir he created. Now, Brown has signed up once again to don his gay apparel—er, Speedo— and swim for Team Oregon. “When you have a younger brother who challenges you to get back in shape, the real issue is getting into the pool at all,” he admits, referring to his sibling who happens to live near Sydney. And that’s where Jill Schultz comes in. A veteran of four Gay Games, a massage thera pist and a personal trainer, she’s already putting Brown through his paces, even though Going Down Under Think about attending the largest gay p arty on earth by O riana G reen the competition is a year away. “My first experience at the Gay Games was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this!’ ” she enthuses. “I lived my Olympic dreams vicari ously through the Gay Games, but it was even greater because it was more about participating.. .no one there to judge you, just your pure drive to get there.” Schultz will compete in the triathlon and half marathon. “I’m proud to be 43 because I look 30,” she says confidently. “Fitness is my life’s passion— and the connections I make through it.” Another personal trainer by trade is Bee Williams, who is organizing a women’s basket ball team. She already has six people ready to head Down Under, and she wants six more. She will hold a meeting for women interested in joining the team next month. “We have a good mix of women from Eugene, Portland and Corvallis,” she says, adding that they’ll start practicing once a week early next year in both Eugene and Portland. So what kind of b-ball experience does she hope women will have? “High school or college experi- I ence would be great, but the whole thing about the Gay Games is participation,” Williams notes. This will be her first Games, and she has a very personal reason for going. “I had a scare with multiple sclerosis, so I thought as long as I can move I’m gonna do it.. .I’m taking my part ner, Annette Leonard, and my mother is even going to cheer me on,” she says with pride. And like most folks who’ve signed up, they plan to take some extra time so they can tour the rest of Australia. Schultz adds that women shouldn’t let the cost factor hold them back. “We’re going to do some fund raising to help people out,” she reveals. S o what is it about the Gam es that appeals to her? “How can you go wrong with a bunch of gay people ?” she asks with a chuckle. “It seems like we always get together just to defend our selves against the [Oregon Citizens Alliance], so it’s nice to do something more positive.” To quote the title o f an early lesbian flick, the point o f the G ay G am es is to reach for your personal best. Totally inclusive, the competition welcomes partici- pants regardless of ability or H IV status. Rip Rupinski, another athlete who has attended several Games, is helping organize Team Oregon though his company, Vacation Travel Planners. Certified an Aussie specialist by the Australian Tourist Commission, he went through an intensive study program and already has toured the country. In addition, he’s going Down Under again early next year to preview the hotels and venues, so he’ll be a great resource, functioning as an unofficial tour guide. Package prices start as low as $2,275 from Los Angeles, which includes airfare, hotel rooms at the deluxe Raffles Merchant Court in Sydney plus extras. Participants can pay for the trip in three installments, with the first one due in January. “The hotel is very top-of-the-line, and we’re getting it at a real steal,” Rupinski says. “So far everyone is doing the Australia and Beyond package, which includes nine days in Sydney plus five extra nights in northern Australia.” Eric Brown sums up the appeal o f the G ay Gam es. “The power and magic is not the competition— it’s the camaraderie. " jn Learn more about forming teams and travel options during a G ay G ames VI meeting 4 p.m. Dec. 1 at Tri Level Fitness, 4815 N .E . Fremont St. Contact Rip Rupinski at 503-223'1100 or www. iplanvacationtravel. com . Contact Bee Williams at 541-607-9765 or becwilliams@hotmail.com. ORIANA G reen is an armchair Olympian and the Entertainment Editor of Just Out. 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