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. Find
her reclined at oriana@justout.com.
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