Wow! I’m going to Montreal for the 1st World Outgames! I got the news this past Sunday from the captain of the NYCGHA’s Wizards. I don’t play for the Wizards, instead I play against them on the Ordinals. But, I’ve known the Wizards’ captain, Johannes, since a bit before I joined the NYCGHA back in ’02. In fact, meeting him during some of the general sessions at Sky Rink after my skating and hockey classes, was one of the reasons I decided to join the NYCGHA. Johannes and I also played together for a few years on the Tigers. So we do have some history.
I had started talking to Johannes about joining the Wizards for the games back during the holidays… and as it played out there was room on the team and he offered me a spot.
So from July 29 to August 5, I’ll be in Montreal with other Wizards (and Will is coming along for the trip too) to try to bring home a medal in the recreational division. No idea yet what the competition is going to be like, but I know it’s going to be a blast.
Going to the Games is a huge deal for me. It was a goal I had set for myself back in the days when I was learning how to play. I remember in the summer of 2002 that a couple people from the Tigers went to the Gay Games in Sydney and that cemented the idea that I wanted to be ready in 2006. Yeah, I know I’m going to the Outgames and not the “official” Gay Games, but that’s just semantics. The real point is I get to go play in an international competition, have a great vacation and likely meet some awesome people along the way.
Stay tune to the blog for more Outgames news as the July draws near. I’ve got five months to try and kick my game up notch or two…and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.
