In the first of a new series leading up to the Gay Games in Paris next August we meet some of the LGBTs who will be representing Ireland in their chosen sports.

Interviews by Ciara McGrattan. Photos by Babs Daly

Aidan Walsh, Football

“There is a competitive element to the Games, but if you only focused on the competition you would lose out on so much.

“I came out relatively late in my life. I’ve always been involved in sport, always been involved in football. I was conscious of the Dublin Devils when they hosted a European tournament a few years ago, so I got in touch soon enough after I came out.

The beauty of the Gay Games is that it’s not necessarily competitive; it’s promoting health and wellness and for people to get involved as much as possible.

We expect to get between 60-80 participants across a wide range of sports. At the moment we’ve got footballers, cyclists, a number of triathletes; we have boxers, a crowd of martial arts people from Cork; we have lots of marathon runners. It’s like the gay Olympics, which is how it was originally envisioned.

Anyone who trains with me knows I’m competitive. I’m a shouter, I’m a giver-outer; I’m competitive in anything that I do. We have a very good team, but it’s as much about the fun at the end of the day. We’ve never won the actual tournament, we’ve been runner-up twice, so we’re hoping we can take the next step.

We’ve a good squad going to Paris. Of course, there is a competitive element to the Games but if you only focused on the competition, you would lose out on so much of what they have to offer. All work and no play, and all that!”

Dermot McCarthy, Running

“Some members of my club have competed at the Gay Games before, and they said it was absolutely brilliant to walk out in the stadium under the Irish lag.

“I attended the Gay Games years ago, when I was in Sydney and I always thought I’d like to take part. So, when I heard other members of my running club, Dublin Front Runners were interested, I looked it up, registered and now I’ll be racing the 10k.

It’s actually a dream of mine to represent the country. Some members of my club have gone over and competed before and they said it was absolutely brilliant to walk out in the stadium under the Irish flag.

It’s also great to be in contact with the other clubs who are sending people over. It’s great networking with other sports groups who are LGBT. It’s great to see who else is out there. It’s great to be able to reach out and support each other.

There’s a good social aspect to the Games, which I love, but I am competitive as well. A goal of mine is to do the 44 minute 10k.

We’re hoping other members of the club who don’t want to run will come over and support us. Our club is pretty big – we’ve got 220 people in Dublin Front Runners. On a Saturday run on average 70 people show up. The highest has been 80.

Last year, our Couch-to-5k programme and our Pride Run were also a great success. We’re getting well-known and well-respected in the running community; I must say the club has really taken off.

But we’re more than just a running club, we’re a support club because unfortunately, it can still be difficult for people to be LGBT.”

To find out more about Dublin Front Runners ‘Couch to 5k’, visit dublinfrontrunners.ie

John McAree, Football

“Limerick was one of the inalists for the 2018 games, and we were hoping they’d win the bid, but Paris is a pretty great choice too.

“I joined the Dublin Devils shortly after the run-up to the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, so that was my first experience of a big tournament. Really, it’s one of the biggest events an amateur gay sportsperson can attend. It was an incredible experience to go, not just with my club mates, but with other Irish athletes, and to take part in the opening ceremony. To walk into a big stadium in Germany with an Irish flag and represent Ireland is just incredible.

We didn’t attend the last Games. They were in Ohio and it was considered a bit too far away so we decided to give that one a miss. Limerick was one of the finalists for the 2018 games, and we were hoping they’d win the bid, but I think Paris is a pretty great choice too.

From a personal point of view, having something of that magnitude here in Ireland would have been an amazing showcase for us and for the LGBT community here. Obviously Paris is a great city as well.

We’re not going to the Gay Games 2018 just to make up the numbers; we want to show what the Dublin Devils are all about1”

Philippa Ryder, Cycling

“Am I in it to win it? Well, let’s put it this way: I’m now being coached by an Italian former professional cyclist.

“I decided to get involved with the Gay Games because I’m passionate about cycling, and I happened to read in GCN a while ago that Team Ireland was looking for people to participate.

Around ten or eleven years ago, I joined a cycling group called Orwell Wheelers. At that point I was just beginning my transition, so I joined the women’s cycling group and it was brilliant. I really felt accepted. I didn’t come out to them, but at the same time there were never any questions or anything like that, so I was always very comfortable.

Over the years I’ve increased the amount of cycling I do and the level too. While I’ve never been competitive as such, I’ve always been veering towards that level.

There are so many benefits to sport, mentally and physically. Every time I’m out on the bike I feel so much more alive, so much more positive about everything. And physically of course, it’s a huge benefit you to be fit and healthy and conscious of what you put into your body and how you treat it.

Am I in it to win it? Well, let’s put it this way: I’m now being coached by an Italian former professional cyclist; I have an 80 page manual of what to eat, what exercises to do, what gym work to do, how much I should be out on the bike, at what weight I should be and so on, so yeah – I’m in it to win it! Of course, while I am in it to win it, it’s also about the participation.”

Team Ireland is seeking corporate sponsorship to help send Irish LGBT+ sportspeople to the Gay Games Paris 2018. For more info about becoming a Team Ireland sponsor, or to join Team Ireland, email teamirelandgaygames@gmail.com